EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK: Tristen Tarp’s coming-of-age short ‘Getting to That Age’, starring Romy Reiner and Sharon Lawrence
31 July 2026 | By Natalia Albin
Getting to That Age follows Dakota (Romy Reiner), an anxiety-ridden only child who returns home for Christmas intending to announce her engagement, only to learn over dinner that her parents are divorcing. As her perspective on love, loyalty, and family shifts over the course of one night, Dakota finds herself juggling the roles she's always assigned herself, and reckoning with the fact that her parents are as flawed as anyone else.
The short also stars Carter Jenkins, known for the After film series and Freeform's Famous in Love; Sharon Lawrence, a four-time Emmy nominee for her work on NYPD Blue and Grey's Anatomy; and Matt Walsh, a two-time Emmy nominee for his role in Veep.
Getting to That Age also marks the directorial debut of writer/director Tristen Tarp, an award-winning comedy writer and playwright. She co-created her first short, Bark, a hybrid live-action and animation project, in 2023.
"I believe turning personal fears into art is one of the most vulnerable forms of self-expression and facilitates healing in a way nothing else can. That's the desire that started me on this journey initially," Tarp tells Short Stuff. "Honestly, I thought I'd be terrified when I reached this point, but right now, I feel surprisingly positive. Ask me again in a month and I'll probably be nonverbal from stress."
For Tarp, the project is rooted in personal history. "This project is where artistic ownership meets childhood," she says. "It's me digging into my core values I had ingrained into me and the parts of myself I don't always let show. If this project can make even one person feel less alone or more understood, that gives me the greatest sense of fulfillment possible."
Producer Frances Komoda, who recently wrapped her first feature, Same Same But Different, says the vulnerability of Tarp's writing was the foundation for the production. "We each pulled from our own experiences, and it created a really special bond within an extremely hardworking team," she says. “I think we all get to that age where we realise our parents are people first and parents second. That shift can be funny, heartbreaking, and uncomfortable all at once, and I think that’s what makes this story feel so universal,” she adds.
The film was executive produced by Geneva Willis and Beck Bennion. Willis, who was part of a writers group with Tarp for years, says the pitch was an easy yes because "the world needs more stories of women finding their footing in adulthood." Bennion, founder of Jumpsuit Pictures, had a similar instinct when Tarp approached her. "I had a gut feeling to say yes," she recalls. "Then I read the script, saw the deck, and that sealed it. I want people to catch themselves in every character, even the ones behaving badly. Everyone thinks they're the main character, and they're all half right."
Short Stuff has an exclusive first look at stills and Behind The Scenes from the film below:
Behind the Scenes shots by Shalyn Dehaes:
