About First Day

First Day is an Australian children's drama television series which aired on ABC ME in 2020. The four-part series is centered around Hannah Bradford, a 12-year old transgender girl who is starting her first year of high school. The series follows Hannah’s attempts to make new friends, deal with bullies, and convince her parents to let her go on a school trip to the city.

Production

The series is produced by Kirsty Stark for Epic Films. It was written by Julie Kalceff, who also directed all four episodes. The series is groundbreaking in its representation of a young transgender girl and is based on a short film of the same name released in 2017.

Actors

• Evie MacDonald plays Hannah Bradford. She portrays the main character with genuine ease, effectively capturing the struggles of her character’s journey with sensitivity and courage.
• Joanne Hunt as Hannah's mother. She delivers a strong and emotional performance as a parent wrestling with understanding and supporting their transgender child.
• Elena Liu as Natalie. She provides a supportive and understanding friend to Hannah as she navigates the ups and downs of high school.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• First Day is the first Australian children's television series to feature a transgender main character.
• The series was based on a critically acclaimed short film, also titled First Day, which was launched on International Day of the Girl in 2017.
• Lead actress Evie MacDonald is herself a transgender woman.

Awards

First Day was honored with a nomination for Best Children's Television Series at the 2020 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTA).

Quotes

• "Tomorrow is my first day of high school. And it’s the first day I get to wear a girl’s uniform." - Hannah
• "You're my best friend Natasha. If I don't fit in with you, who am I going to fit in with?" - Hannah

Music/Soundtrack

• The series features an atmospheric and sensitive score by award-winning composer Caitlyn Yeo.