City Editor Allie here. I want to introduce you to one of my best friends — and the talented cowriter of an upcoming movie called “Growing Pains.” Mari Fabian is an NC State and soon-to-be UNC alum and has worked for years on this movie, and I can’t wait for the North Carolina premiere at the Rialto next month.
“Growing Pains,” directed and cowritten by Catherine Argyrople, follows Nat and Zoe as they face the transition from middle school to high school. Nat is based on Fabian’s experience as a young queer person in a Hispanic, more conservative household, while Zoe is inspired by Argyrople’s experience with body dysmorphia as a cancer survivor.
Argyrople partnered with Fabian after finding their student opinion piece on “The Wilds,” and over the course of nine months, the pair penned what would become “Growing Pains.” The next summer, the film was shot on location in and around Boston. Since then, the film has been featured by 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s Diversity Spotlight and premiered at the Chelsea Film Festival and Boston International Film Festival. Next up: Fabian’s home of Raleigh.
In addition to the NC premiere of the film on May 18 at the Rialto, Fabian and Argyrople will participate in a moderated panel with local supporters of teens and the LGBTQ+ community, including Kori Hennessy from the LGBT Center of Raleigh, Amanda Cottrill from Wake Forest Pride, and Holly Atkins, the founder of Hope For Teens, a group advocating for LGBTQ+ teens with programs like Queer Prom.
"[This movie is for] any RALtoday readers who are interested in a story about queer joy, radical joy, acceptance, affirmation, and representation of multiplicity of identity. I think this film would apply to you,” Fabian told RALtoday. “And even if you’re not a part of this community, I think it’s critical to engage with topics like this and also be an ally.”
