Egghead and Twinkie is a comedy for the girls, gays, and theys

The coming-of-age comedy Egghead and Twinkie centers on 17-year-old Twinkie, (Sabrina Joy Jie-A-Fa)  an Asian American teen who goes on a cross-country road trip to meet her online crush with her best friend egghead (Louis Tomeo.) It’s a film for the queerdos who’d Naruto run in grade school and the aggravated teens who’d stay up until 4am watching anime, Bobs Burgers, or Heartstopper on their laptops before school.

Director Sarah Kambe Holland’s 7-year-long film project came to fruition in an unorthodox manner. Originally, Egghead and Twinkie was a short film that Kambe had made back in 2017. She always knew there was much more to the duo’s story and eventually extended it into a feature in 2019. Kambe didn’t have crucial connections to investors to fund this ambitious project. So she took to the masses and elevator-pitched her film via TikTok, and within 24 hours, her video blew up.  

“The people craving this representation were the ones that were like, let me donate $1 and $2 $100.,” Kambe told INTO. “It was the people that were like me that felt frustrated by the representation or lack thereof. I think that’s what makes this special when you know that you made this film with the help of all the people craving those types of storylines.”

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To gain support and traction for Egghead and Twinkie, they also used TikTok to update supporters of the film’s progress. They would document all 39 days of the film’s production in 2021, do giveaways, and even make a crew call for when the team needed an animator to entirely shape the film’s aesthetic. To bring the film to the world Kambe and the rest of her team sourced from a network of viewers who wanted expansive stories that celebrated queer narratives and followed Gen Z POC protagonists. 

Representation was one reason Kambe chose to become a director and screenwriter in the first place. Before studying film, Kambe was an aspiring actress who was struck by the brutal reality and, specifically, the limited roles for AAPI actors. After learning this hardened truth, Kambe transitioned into studying film as a way to create change in this white cis-het-dominated industry. 

“I wanted to create the opportunity that I didn’t have. So absolutely, representation has been a massive driving point for my work,” Kambe said.

Today, Egghead and Twinkie has made its way across film festivals such as Outfest, Cinequest Film Festival, BFI FLARE: LONDON LGBTQIA+ FILM FESTIVAL, TIFF and continues to make its way across the globe for all to watch. Kambe and the rest of the team want this film to reach as many people as possible, specifically the queer kids. 

 “I think, in many ways, I made this film for my younger self. But I would dedicate this film to all of the other queer kids that are growing up now. And I hope that they watch the film and feel seen in a way,” Kambe said.

As for Egg Head and Twinkie, the road trip has not ended, and is driving full speed to MUNA’s Silk Chiffon blasting through the car speakers to a theater near you.♦