Late Bloomer (2025)

Logline:
30-year-old Harper Muller has always been a Late Bloomer, so when cervical cancer turns her life plans upside-down, she recruits her two best friends to sleep with her so she can lose her virginity. It’s a weird ask; believe her, she knows! But hey, what are friends for?

Director Statement:
I’m a recent graduate with an MFA in directing from DePaul University in Chicago, where Late Bloomer was my thesis. I wrote Late Bloomer in a weekend after learning that the film I thought I’d be making for my thesis was no longer an option. We start the story with an exact retelling of my first-ever gynecology appointment, then quickly shift into something that was not my reality. For years, I had wondered what would have happened if never-been-kissed Kyle had gotten a diagnosis that day. Now, what if this happens to someone in their 30s? In my work, I enjoy finding a balance between hard moments in life and not taking life too seriously, and for my first narrative, it was very important to me to capture some of that spark. Without the team of friends and creatives I’ve worked with through DePaul, I’m not sure this film would be half of what it is.