Synopsis

Cass, 18, lives a typical suburban life with her seemingly perfect parents, Sharon and Richard. After dodging a kiss from her classmate Josh, she retreats to her room and opens her favorite dating app, TindHER. To her absolute horror, she stumbles upon her mom’s profile and in a tizzy, accidentally swipes right. Desperate to undo the accidental match, she sneaks into her parents’ room to delete the notification, but her plans quickly go awry. As Cass navigates surreal daydreams and the chaos of surviving her first date, Match Dot Mom culminates in a heartfelt mother-daughter reconnection—and one final challenge: coming out to her dad.

Director's Statement

I’m so excited to share my film, Match Dot Mom, with you all. I grew up in small-town New Hampshire and came of age in the ’90s—a time when being queer was more often the punchline of a joke than an accepted identity. It wasn’t until I was 26 that I fully discovered my true, queer self, and a slow but powerful wave of freedom began to ripple through my life. Although society was shifting toward acceptance at that time, there was—and still is—so much progress to be made.

For me, that progress starts with the films we create. Growing up with little to no positive sapphic representation, it’s no wonder it took me so long to truly find myself. As queer people, we don’t just need but crave positive, comedic stories. I believe comedy can be just as healing and hopeful as any other genre.

The idea for Match Dot Mom came to me in a blur—one of those moments lying in bed, unsure if I was thinking, dreaming, awake, or asleep. Reflecting on my own experiences with dating apps, I wondered: Who would be the last person I’d want to run into on there? When my mom popped into my mind, I couldn’t help but roll over, turn on the light, and write it down. Now, five years later, I still can’t believe that one silly thought has turned into a film I’m so proud to share with the world.

My greatest hope is that this story helps others find love and acceptance in who they are.

Crew

Tara Parian - Writer/Director

Tara is a queer, Los Angeles-based writer and director who spent a decade creating content at BuzzFeed. She has directed numerous comedy sketch videos, is a Webby Award Honoree, and a fellow of Ryan Murphy's prestigious HALF Directing Initiative. Growing up closeted and queer in small-town New Hampshire, Tara is dedicated to producing work that fosters compassion for the sapphic experience through a comedic lens.

Eve Symington - Producer

Eve has been making films since discovering a camera in her basement at age eleven. She is the Director and Chief Executive of Fulu Films, a production company specializing in short-form branded content. Before producing Match Dot Mom, she wrote, directed, and produced the feature film Brut Fruce, which was distributed by XYZ Films.

Stacey Haid - Producer

Stacey is an Emmy-nominated producer with over 13 years of experience in video production. Most recently, she served as Director of Production at Healthline Media, where her work has reached millions of viewers worldwide.

Rachel Bickert - Cinematographer

Rachel is an Alabama native and Los Angeles-based cinematographer. She holds an MFA in Cinematography from Chapman University and has since worked on hundreds of projects, including music videos for fellow queer artists like Hayley Kiyoko and Fletcher. Rachel is a proud Alexa Mini owner and an avid cat lover.

Freya Berkhout - Composer

Freya is a multi-award winning composer, vocalist, writer and creative technologist based in Los Angeles. Her passion is to manifest profound, emotional, thought-provoking experiences, creating sonic worlds that span the dark and enigmatic to the delicate, exquisite and transcendental. She revels in bold, celebratory intersectional feminist and queer narratives and perspectives