Director/co-writer/producer Catherine Argyrople has hit the ground running with her first full-length feature, Growing Pains. As a teen, she recalled the pang of losing a best friend among the other trials of adolescence; later, as a young first-time filmmaker, she longed to see stories like her own on screen. And so, inspired by a screenwriting class, she took the initiative to do herself what few like her in the industry do: to script, direct, and produce a feature-length film about young women, and to do so with an all-female crew.

Nothing about the process was easy, but it all came together with the completion of Growing Pains earlier this year. The film follows childhood best friends Nat and Zoe who face a tumultuous transition in the summer before high school begins. Nat is burdened with a busy work schedule, an illness in the family, and, for the first time, serious romantic feelings for the new girl with whom she works. Zoe, a childhood cancer survivor, struggles with body positivity as she tries out for crew and navigates the temptations and anxieties of drugs, alcohol, and sex. As Nat and Zoe both deal with life’s complications, their obligations take them further and further apart from each other—just when they need each other most.

Catherine Argyrople is an independent feature film director, writer, and creative producer committed to empowering women through female-centered narratives and authentic storytelling. Her work primarily focuses on social-facing issues including mental health, disability, gender equity in sports, identity, and coming of age.