When Zane Hutchison was born, he started to show signs of developmental delays. By the time he reached kindergarten, he was diagnosed with a mild intellectual disability. At the time, his mother Dr. Ann Wilkinson was given little to no resources, but as she was already in training to become a special education teacher, she was able to teach Zane self-advocacy, work ethic, and social skills to help him flow into the mainstream. Transition into adulthood was a crucial time, but Zane's work ethic and experience helped launch him into jobs at a funeral home and as a custodian at Lowe's for over four years.

Unfortunately in 2019, Lowe's laid off their entire service personnel workforce eliminating Zane's job. What started as a small documentary project following Ann's job hunt for Zane became a three year project. Some workplaces were unable to see the benefits of making adaptations or accommodations to a job for Zane; some jobs were too technical; and with the world changing in a post-pandemic era, budgets were slashed and dining rooms were closed. 

But Zane isn't alone: 

Our film doesn't just tell the story of Zane and Ann's perseverance in the face of obstacles, their steadfast faith and hard work ethic, but can open dialogue on the difficulty of a post-education life for folks with special needs. 

Beyond all of that, Zane is a lovable character with charm and an innocent sweetness that will make you laugh and smile.

Jillian Carney Howell was a plucky and nervous fourth grader when she was assigned to sit next to Zane in class. Little did they know at that time that they would become lifelong best friends. Jillian was always drawn to Zane's outrageous humor and his optimism. He was even a "bridesman" in Jillian's wedding, standing alongside her and her husband as they got married.

Jillian is an independent filmmaker with several festivals and shorts under her belt and works full time at Walt Disney Animation Studios as a production coordinator. Even though she lives in Los Angeles and it took a lot of coordination with local videographers, this was a passion project she was determined to make happen. Videographers worked on IOUs over the past 3 years to capture the footage to make this happen while Jillian spent hundreds of hours of her free time editing as a weekend warrior. No one knows Zane like Jillian, and this project has been the thrill of a lifetime. What started as a personal video essay/character piece on a friend can become something bigger with special showings, festivals, and reach to help encourage other employers and folks to see special needs workers with new eyes.

All of the professionals that made this film possible have been working on "IOUs" while Jillian's work was all done pro-bono out of passion for this project and her love of Zane. We want to be able to pay the local WV artists for their work in order to keep the arts a sustainable initiative in West Virginia and beyond. 

Every choice made on this film not only propels the story forward, but was made with Zane in mind. For instance: The film contains original music, including an original song about Zane and Ann during the credits. Music is such an important part of Zane's life, and the music included is written and produced by one of Zane's heros: worship leader Johnny Vogt. We want to make it the best it can be on a technical and artist level so the message can be more easily accepted. We are having professional coloring done to the images and professional sound mixing.

Beyond paying our artists for their craft, we want this film to be shown in as many spaces as possible to share the inspiration for parents of people with disabilities and peers who can make a difference. In the independent film world, sharing a film usually translates to film festivals! Making sure it is up to the caliber to be accepted to festivals, as well as paying festival entry fees takes money and support from a community! Beyond film festivals, we hope to show the film to groups and in educational spaces because it is a conversation starter. What happens to kids with special needs after school? What can we do to support? How can we create accommodations and spaces for them in our workplaces? Even though this film starts with Zane and his journey, it creates conversations and advocacy that can span the nation.