GROWING BOY - A Short Film

Hello. My name is Seamus Mulhern. I’m a filmmaker in New York City. This May, I’m directing a short called Growing Boy. It’s about a young man who is mocked for his height and, in response, decides to pay for experimental limb-lengthening surgery. Post-operation, he returns to his bullies to get revenge. It's funny, uncomfortable, and unusual. A coming-of-age story by way of David Cronenberg.

It’s a script that began as a comedy sketch. I had learned about the quiet phenomenon of limb-lengthening surgery and fell down a rabbit hole of men talking about their experiences. It was fascinating and perverse and… kind of ridiculous? At least, it seemed ridiculous at the time. The more I read about these experiences, the more I realized these people shared a lot of the emotions I've had. Self-doubt, insecurity, shame, and powerlessness. We all have things about ourselves we wish we could change, especially in the 21st century when medical technology is constantly evolving. In the end, the final draft is more empathetic and all the better for it.

Speaking of throwing money at problems, we need your help to make this the best film it can be. We need lights, lenses, transportation, and, most importantly, we want to compensate our cast and crew fairly. I’ve assembled a fantastic team with the help of my producer, Eli Bernstein. We’ve also got a great cast. The lead role is played by Jasper LaBonte, a fresh-faced young talent, and the doctor is played by Ronit Asheri, who you may recognize as Malka Schwartz from the hit Netflix series, Unorthodox. I’m so, so happy with the people in our corner and I’m so excited to bring you a film that only we could have made.

Below, you will find our budget breakdown. A majority of our budget will be going towards equipment rentals as well as factoring in costs of equipment pickup (gas money, Uber fees). 2400 will go towards compensating our cast and crew. 1100 will go to production fees: catering, transportation, etc. Lastly, 500 will go to our post-production: sound mixing, editing, etc.

Once the film is complete, we plan on submitting to film festivals and, eventually, releasing it online. We deeply appreciate any funds you could throw our way.

Thanks for reading,

Seamus Mulhern