Growing Pains

Growing Pains is a real & raw coming-of-age story about identity, sexuality, and the aftermath of surviving cancer. The film follows childhood girlfriends Zoe and Nat, who face the tumultuous transition from middle to high school as their friendship drifts apart.

Growing Pains was awarded the prestigious ReFrame Stamp by The Sundance Institute and Women in Film for gender-balanced hiring. Growing Pains was listed on the Diversity Spotlight at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival by Nielsen, Studio System and RespectAbility, alongside Ava Duvernay’s Origin and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. Featuring talented breakout actors Deanna Tarraza (from Absolution with Liam Neeson and Hallmark’s Letters to Santa). Deb LeClair (from Action Juice by Jake Bongiovi, produced by Millie Bobbi Brown), and newcomer Molly Morneweck, Growing Pains highlights New England talent.

Catherine Argyrople is the Writer/Director/Executive Producer. The film is semi-autobiographical, inspired by Catherine’s experiences as a childhood cancer survivor. The story is about growing into yourself, amidst a society that ignores the serious hardships that teen girls face. Addressing disability, queer representation, and mental health, Growing Pains is a love letter for young women who have struggled to see their stories depicted on screen.

Growing Pains was written, directed, produced, and filmed by women. Growing Pains was shot entirely in Massachusetts in summer 2022 and wrapped post-production in September 2023.

Premieres

Growing Pains world premiered at The Boston International Film Festival in April 2024, selected from almost 6,000 submissions for a handful of feature film slots. The Community Premiere at the historic Somerville Theatre with Women in Film & Video New England was a huge success– over 400 attendees came to support our indie film!

Growing Pains premiered at the Mastercard-sponsored Chelsea Film Festival.

Press

Growing Pains was featured by Nielsen, Studio System Solutions, and RespectAbility for the Diversity Spotlight at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The film is listed amongst talented filmmakers like Ava DuVernay and Denis Villeneuve. Read the press release on Nielsen’s site.

Growing Pains was awarded The ReFrame Stamp by The Sundance Institute and Women In Film. The stamp is given to films that have demonstrated gender-balanced hiring, with women and underrepresented gender identities in at least four of the eight key roles– including writer, director, producer, lead, co-leads, and department heads.

The film was spotlighted by Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Make A Wish, Northeastern University, WickedLocal, 47 Magazine, and more! Funded by grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and a successful crowdfunding campaign, Growing Pains is a grassroots film that uplifts women and independent artists.

Growing Pains received an Honorable Mention from the North Carolina Film Festival. Growing Pains made it to the Second Round Quarterfinalists of the Spring 2023 ScreenCraft Film Fund, supported by the Duplass Brothers. Growing Pains was selected from 1,100 submissions.

From the Heart Productions awarded Growing Pains as one of their “Hot Films in the Making!”