Kickstarter

Help kickstart the completion of a nearly-finished documentary film called "GORK!" and introduce Adam --the film's redheaded, flagtwirling star-- and his story to the world!

We are sisters --Devon and Autumn Terrill-- and back in 2001, we recruited a small film crew and began documenting our younger brother Adam’s experiences as an offbeat, often hilarious, young man with developmental disabilities living in Iowa. Our goal wasn't to make a film about autism or developmental disabilities, but rather try to tell a firsthand, honest story about the real challenges and HUMOR within a family that happens to include a child with disabilities.

Adam's complex mix of disabilities (autism, ADHD, mild mental retardation) and singular charisma have been a constant source of comedy and drama in the lives of our 7-member family. Flying by the seat of our pants, we started following his life and digging into his (and our) history. Collaborating with a very talented editor (Emmy-nominated Andrew Ecker), we began crafting a story about one family's experience with disability that we hope is both moving AND entertaining.

Adam came to the Terrill home as a newborn foster child. The family's decision to adopt Adam at the age of one was largely guided by Autumn's insistence (at the age of 5) that no other family should be allowed to adopt her "baby brother" in spite of his disabilities and dismal prognosis for the future. From these early years, to his high school graduation, to his present life in a group home, the film zeroes in on Adam's close relationship with his older sister, Autumn, who eventually channels her experiences with Adam to create an alternative approach to working with children with autism.

"GORK!" also portrays two parents who have been beaten down by a flawed system of care that they resent and yet rely upon, raising important issues about how we treat people with disabilities AND their families. The tone of "GORK!" is frank, intimate and quirky, with comedy and drama coming from authentic voices (profanity included) of a not-so-ordinary American family. The film combines interviews, photos, verite video, and scenes from live performances of Autumn's award-winning stage play (also called "GORK!"), bringing to life the stories of Adam's youth and his transition into adulthood.

We began with absolutely no money, relying mostly on our passion for our brother's outrageous spirit, and now we have a 94 minute rough cut that needs a small amount of funding to finally make it out into the world. A very reputable documentary distribution company called Roco Films has watched our project develop and have requested a final cut, which is why after nearly 10 years of effort, we are eagerly trying to raise the finishing funds and make the push to complete our film.

The money we hope to raise through Kickstarter will be used to complete a final cut of the film as well as for other post production finishing costs such as color correction, sound work, some composing and/or music licensing, fine-tuning of graphics and photos, and overall polishing of the film. As soon as we secure these post finishing funds, we estimate that the film could be completed in 8 weeks.

Millions of peoples’ lives are impacted by the disabilities addressed in “GORK!” Specifically, 1 in 110 American children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Our target audience is families and friends of loved ones with disabilities. Another key audience includes special educators, caregivers, advocates, support groups, seminars and conventions.

With this film, we are striving to reach and activate as wide an audience as possible. We hope you'll come on board the "GORK!" train, help us launch our film, and enjoy the fun Kickstarter rewards we'll be sending out along the way!

We thank you in advance for your support!

Devon and Autumn Terrill