Getting to That Age
Narrative Short

Project Type: Narrative Short
Project Status: Pre-Production
Director and Writer: Tristen Tarp
Executive Producer: Geneva Willis and Beck Bennion
Producer: Frances Komoda
Co-Producer: Madison Walser
LOGLINE
Dakota, an anxiety-ridden only child, returns home at Christmas to proudly announce her engagement, only to be slapped in the face with news of her parent's divorce at the dinner table, shattering her perspective on love and loyalty. LADY BIRD meets THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND by way of THE BEAR.
SYNOPSIS
When 28-year-old Dakota returns home for the holidays with her new fiancé, she hopes to celebrate and finally share their engagement. Instead, she walks into a pressure cooker of resentment, silence, and soggy potatoes. Her mother is cracking under the weight of years of emotional labor, her father is checked out & angry, and her fiancé is more devoted to his work phone than the people around the table.
Over the course of one night, old patterns return with a vengeance and Dakota finds herself juggling the impossible roles of daughter, partner, and peacemaker, all while quietly wondering if the life she’s building is any healthier than the one she’s trying to escape. Set entirely in one suburban home on Christmas Eve, Getting to That Age captures the moment you realize you’re no longer the child in the room, but the adult wondering if your parents ever truly were.
A sharp, darkly funny, and emotionally honest portrait of family dysfunction, this is a story about growing up, letting go, and the quiet heartbreak of coming home.
MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT
Getting to That Age explores a uniquely modern coming-of-age moment: what happens when adulthood doesn’t bring the clarity or control we were promised. The film follows Dakota, a woman stuck between the life she’s trying to build and the crumbling one she came from. We observe her navigating a messy engagement, unstable parents, and the emotional labor of holding everything (and everyone) together.
Thematically, the film tackles intergenerational trauma, emotional caretaking, the illusion of stability, and the awkward transition from child to reluctant adult. It’s about the people who find themselves restarting long after society says they should have it figured out—managing careers, relationships, and identities while simultaneously becoming caretakers for the very people who once raised them. The story blends heartbreak and humor to reveal how absurd and isolating that position can be, especially for only children in dysfunctional homes.
This topic is timely. Millennials and Gen Z are entering adulthood under mounting social, financial, and familial pressure while being expected to be both self-actualized and self-sacrificing. Mental health awareness is growing, yet the burden of healing often falls to the youngest, most emotionally fluent member of the family. As the director, I bring personal insight and lived experience to this story. Like Dakota, I’ve had to navigate parent-child role reversals, emotional whiplash, and the frustrating comedy that comes with loving broken people. I know this story because I’ve lived it. I believe audiences will feel seen, comforted, and maybe even laugh through their own unraveling.
VISUAL REFERENCES
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Tristen Tarp
Director/Writer
Tristen Tarp is a playwright and screenwriter, known for her work exploring complex family dynamics and societal challenges. Among many recognitions, Tristen has been named a Top Five Finalist in the Fresh Voices Competition and a Top Four Finalist in the Scriptapalooza TV Writing Contest. Her short film, Reward If Found is currently on the festival circuit, directed by Pixar’s Searit Huff and starring Emmy-nominated actress Monica Potter.
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Geneva Willis
Executive Producer
Geneva Willis grew up in rural Alabama, in a small town that made Mayberry look like Metropolis. A lover of character-driven stories and a proud PGA member, she has eight seasons of experience "fixing it in Post." Her television credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm, Star Trek: Picard, The Alienist: Angel of Darkness, Catch-22, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, and most recently, What We Do in the Shadows.
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Beck Bennion
Executive Producer
Beck Bennion is a producer, actor, and award-winning screenwriter who spent a decade in corporate marketing building her reputation as a leader in branding and storytelling. Beck is currently in development of two feature films, has two short films on the festival circuit this year, and most recently produced the critically acclaimed one-man show Unsavory Fellow. In 2021, Beck made her short film debut with Headshots, which is now being adapted into the television series Outcasts.
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Frances Komoda
Producer
Frances Komoda is a producer originally from Oregon, working across film, video games, music videos, animation, and event production. She recently wrapped her first feature film, Weekend on Cape Cod When Everything Changed, & is currently developing a range of projects across genres. She previously worked in development at EST Studios & now works in brand marketing, serves as a manager for Soho House's mentorship program, and co-founded Fat Tiga Studios to release original creative work. Frances is also a musician with a professional background in violin performance.
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Madison Walser
Co-Producer
Madison Walser has a unique blend of skills on both the corporate and creative side of entertainment. She has worked for the past 5 years consulting large media and entertainment studios on how to streamline financial, production and post production workflows. On the creative side, Madison has been producing content for her personal brand and guiding other brands on how to make engaging content for over 8 years.
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Christian Klein
Cinematographer
Christian Klein is a Los Angeles-based cinematographer from the Bay Area, specializing in documentary, narrative, and branded films.
His documentary work, including Don’t Look Down, has been showcased at SFFILM and DOC NYC. His latest collaboration as co-director and cinematographer, A Kind Favor, premiered at Bend Film Festival and Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, CO. Most recently, A Wild Kindness received a Best Short Documentary nomination at Raindance Film Festival 2025.
Your Help
GETTING TO THAT AGE is a fiscally sponsored project of Cinematography for Actors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation will be tax-deductible!