Peccadillo Pictures has announced that Big Girls Don’t Cry, the acclaimed debut feature from New Zealand writer-director Paloma Schneideman, will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on November 27, 2026.
Executive produced by Academy Award winner Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog, The Piano), the coming-of-age drama premiered at Sundance and later screened at BFI Flare before winning the Grand Prix at the Nouvelles Vagues Festival in Biarritz.
Set in rural New Zealand during the summer of 2006, the film follows 14-year-old Sid, who spends a transformative holiday navigating adolescence, identity, desire, and the early internet. With her father emotionally absent and her view of the world shaped through a borrowed MSN account, Sid becomes fascinated by a group of older teens and begins imitating the people she longs to be accepted by.
Newcomer Ani Palmer stars as Sid alongside Noah Taylor (Peaky Blinders, Almost Famous) and Rain Spencer (Good Girl Jane, The Summer I Turned Pretty).
Drawing inspiration from her own adolescence, Schneideman describes the film as an honest reflection of the confusion, joy, and pain of growing up. Rich in period detail and emotional authenticity, Big Girls Don’t Cry explores the complexities of self-discovery and belonging.
Watch the official trailer below.
Cast
- Ani Palmer
- Rain Spencer
- Noah Taylor
Crew
Director
- Paloma Schneideman
Producers
- Vicky Pope
- Thomas Coppell
Executive Producers
- Jane Campion
- Philippa Campbell
Film Details
- Title: Big Girls Don’t Cry
- Distributor: Peccadillo Pictures
- Release Date: November 27, 2026 (UK & Ireland)
- Runtime: 99 Minutes
- Certificate: 15
- Genre: Coming-of-Age Drama
Synopsis
Rural New Zealand, 2006. Over one transformative summer, 14-year-old Sid discovers desire, identity, and the internet as she imitates the people she longs to be loved by.
Big Girls Don’t Cry opens in UK and Irish cinemas on November 27, 2026.
