Meet David Hughens! David is the screenplay writer behind Made With Love, a new crowdfunded movie that highlights the love, joy, and productivity of those with Down syndrome! In this conversation, you’ll hear David’s experience of befriending Jay, and why he decided to create a movie to foster inclusivity and understanding of people like Jay.
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October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, so I thought this would be the perfect time to invite David to share about Made With Love, after all, a big part of the movie’s purpose is to show how incredible people with Down syndrome truly are, and educate and advocate on their behalf.
Most of all, when I first connected with David about this movie, I knew I had to have him on the show, because of the heart and purpose behind this movie. In this episode David tells the lighthearted story of how he became friends with Jay, a man with Down syndrome, and what inspired this movie (along with so much more that get into!).
My brother, Jesse, has Down syndrome and it was so fun to connect in this conversation about the similarities we discovered about our experiences with Jay and Jesse! This really feels like a special episode for so many reasons. For one, this movie has garnered a lot of attention with countless screenplay awards and support from big names in the industry. David is making this into a major motion picture and to think such a beautiful story will be on the big screen is exciting (and the fact that we get a behind the scenes meet and greet with David is cool too)! But I think the biggest reason this feels like a special episode is the simple fact that once you form a relationship with someone who has Down syndrome joy exudes out of you and you just can’t help but share how special they are! For that reason, it was a lot of fun recording with David. It’s also just such a lighthearted episode that makes you feel good!
Topics covered in this episode:
- Learn how David’s mother’s writing inspired him to first get into film making at the age of 23.
- After many years on a different career path, hear how God brought him back into film making (and the huge success he’s had in writing screenplays since)!
- Hear how David first met Jay, his friend with Down syndrome, and what inspired David to begin writing Made With Love!
- Get to know Jay and the joy and light he brings to life!
- Understand what David has learned about Down syndrome and why he decided to make this screenplay into a major motion picture!
- Learn how you can support the campaign to get this movie made!
To think we have an opportunity to help take this movie to the big screen is really exciting, isn’t it?
I love how David said he wants this movie to be “made with the love by the people who love Down syndrome”! I highly recommend checking out the website to learn more about the movie. You can watch the promo video, see more pictures of Jay, and all the screenplay awards and testimonials too! There’s also an option to donate to the campaign right on the page, so it’s quick and easy if you’d like to take part in making this movie a reality! Madewithlovethemovie.com
Resources mentioned:
- National DS Congress
- DSDN - Down syndrome Diagnosis Network
- Hope Story
- Jack’s Basket
- Ruby’s Rainbow - Scholarships for post secondary education
- ClemsonLIFE - Clemson University’s life skills program
David's bio:
David Hughens overcame many obstacles to make his first feature film, ELVIS’ GRAVE, and he did so when he was just 23 years old. He was the second person to make a homegrown film in his home state of Alabama, and the youngest at the time. David spent most of his career in sales and marketing, but God called him back into filmmaking three years ago. He has written 6 screenplays since then and his scripts have won more than 40 awards worldwide. David is currently working on making a movie called Made With Love that will star his friend Jay Thomas Carr who is an actor with Down syndrome.
Madewithlovethemovie.com
Watch on YouTube!
Related Content:
David and his son, Jackson, are the father-son duo behind Made With Love! They've traveled across the country shooting short documentaries of individuals with Down syndrome to show the world how much value, love and joy they bring to those around them. They shot a video of my brother, Jesse, and our strong sibling relationship — Watch our documentary story!
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