Winner of the Un Certain Regard prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, HOW TO HAVE SEX is a vibrant and authentic depiction of the agonies, ecstasies and ride-or-die glory of young female friendship, from rising British filmmaker Molly Manning Walker.

Set against the chaotic party scene of Malia, three British teenage girls – Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce), Skye (Lara Peake), and Em (Enva Lewis) – go on a rites-of-passage holiday, drinking, clubbing and hooking up in what should be the best summer of their lives. As they dance their way through the hazy clubs, hectic pool parties and sun-drenched streets of the strip, they find themselves navigating the complexities of sex, consent, self-discovery and friendships old and new.

Captured with luminous visuals and a pitch-perfect soundtrack, Manning Walker’s directorial debut marks the arrival of a sensational new acting talent in Mia McKenna-Bruce, who delivers a stunning central performance. Compassionate and delicately-handled, this confronting take on the outrageous excesses of teenage holidays paints a painfully familiar portrait of young adulthood, and how first sexual experiences should – or shouldn’t – play out. 

We're hosting a series of #ReclaimTheFrame previews, including post-screening panel discussions with some special guests TBA. 

Wednesday 1 November: 

Cameo Picturehouse, Edinburgh - 18:15 

Hackney Picturehouse, London - 20:30 

Following the film we’re excited to be joined by award-winning journalist, content creator & sex educator Sophia Smith Galer and culture & lifestyle writer Billie Walker for a discussion on the film, centering female friendships, female pleasure, and consent. Sophia is the only reporter in the UK to be both HEFAT trained to handle hostile environments and accredited via ACET UK to deliver sex education, following the publication of her book Losing It: Dispelling the Sex Myths that Rule Our Lives. It was published by Harper Collins in 2022 to critical acclaim and was a No.1 Amazon bestseller in Sex. With bylines including Cosmopolitan, Dazed, i-D, Little White Lies, and The Big Issue, Billie’s critical fascinations include the visceral intimacy of body horror, while her more essays reflect on sex, sexuality and mental health. The conversation will be moderated by Reclaim The Frame Director Melanie Iredale.

FACT Picturehouse, Liverpool -  18:15 

Following the film we’re excited to be joined by journalist, author, screenwriter and podcaster Terri White; sexuality and intimacy educator Ria Hope from The Lahlita Project; and sexological bodyworker, embodied facilitator, and dominatrix Lex, for a discussion on the film, coming-of-sexual-age, depictions of sex on screen, and centering female pleasure, intimacy and consent.

As a journalist, Terri’s focus spans cinema (formerly editor of Empire) and violence against women and girls. Her book Coming Undone: A Memoir was published by Canongate in 2020, and her new podcast ‘Why Didn’t You’ exposes rape myths through interviews with survivors. Ria Hope started  in 2018 at the age of 22 with a vision to create an accessible and inclusive space for younger people to explore and discuss sexuality. Now a thriving online community, Ria leads workshops and talks about communication in relationships. As an embodiment-focused sex and kink educator, Lex’s work guides individuals and groups in explorations around topics such as consent, sexuality, pleasure, intimacy, identity, relating, and power.

The conversation will be moderated by Reclaim The Frame’s Impact Producer Anne Louise Kershaw who works as a curator, producer, writer and sound artist in the North West.

HOW TO HAVE SEX will be presented with Descriptive Subtitles (SDH), availbale with Audio Description (AD), and all live event elements will be live captioned. 

Content note: Please note this film has been rated a 15 for what BBFC refers to as “deal[ing] boldly but thoughtfully with matters of consent and sexual violence”