HNN Filmmaker Spotlight: Adrian Esposito (Special Needs Revolt!)

Adrian Esposito is a prolific filmmaker with 12 feature films to his credit, ranging from documentaries to narrative films. His recent film, Clowns in the Woods, is achieving worldwide recognition and acclaim with horror film fans; it is his entry into the horror film genre.

At the age of 5, Adrian was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. He experienced many setbacks, but his struggles were most notable in the educational system. It was his passion for movies that changed his life. He started making films at the age of 16 and has never stopped.

Most of Adrian’s films focus on the struggles faced by individuals with developmental disabilities and/or autism. He has also made documentaries about the heroic struggles of B-movie genre filmmakers.

Adrian first received attention with his documentary We Can Shine – From Institutions to Independence, about the Willowbrook institution for children with disabilities that was famously investigated by Geraldo Rivera in the 1970s. Diffability Hollywood is a look at the depiction of people with disabilities in entertainment, and includes interviews with Johnny Knoxville and Seinfeld’s Danny Woodburn. Inner Healing is a documentary about Adrian’s own search for self-improvement wisdom from Native American elders.

Several of his documentaries, including We Can Shine and Diffability Hollywood, are licensed to colleges and human services agencies for educational and training purposes. Adrian made the leap to narrative features by writing and producing Bury My Heart with Tonawanda, a period drama about a young man with Downs Syndrome being accepted into a Native American community.

Two of Adrian’s most popular films are: Greetings from Tromaville, a documentary about the films of Troma Entertainment founder Lloyd Kaufman; and Liberation Unit, a documentary about the liberation of the German concentration camp Gunskirchen Lager during World War II in Lambach, Austria.

Adrian’s film Clowns in the Woods features lead actors who are on the autism spectrum (including himself) and deals with the topics of bullying and prejudice. Clowns in the Woods introduced Nolan Tierce, an actor with Downs Syndrome, in a supporting role.

Nolan becomes the lead actor in Adrian’s newest film, Special Needs Revolt!, an action-comedy in the Troma tradition. This film attempts to shatter many stereotypes about people with disabilities. Special Needs Revolt! has an expected release date in the fall of 2024.

All of Adrian’s films can be seen on Prime Video, Tubi TV, Vudu, iTunes, and multiple YouTube channels.
More information about Adrian Esposito can be found here: http://www.Espocinema.com