Ezra is a new movie centered around the story of a father and his son with autism. 

The duo travel across the country to strengthen their bond as the boy’s mother, grandfather and the FBI are pursuing them. 

Written by Tony Spiridakis, the screenplay draws from his personal experiences as a father to a son with autism.

15 year old William A. Fitzgerald has autism and is making his acting debut as the film’s main character, Ezra.

Associate producer Alex Plank, who also has autism, emphasized the importance of representation:

“We were only willing to cast an autistic actor to play the titular role because authentic casting is so important. I encouraged him to bring his own twist to the character and for everyone to give him the space to experiment with things,” Alex said.

William was able to make the character his own by ad libbing lines and letting his own personality shine through. 

The production team made sure to involve the autism community throughout the filming process. The movie was screened to people within the community to gather meaningful feedback and ensure authenticity.

Ezra opens in theaters on May 31 and hopes to create representation within the autism community.

This article has information from Disability Scoop and The Hollywood Reporter.