Filmmaker With Autism to Premiere Doctor Who Fan Fiction Short Film

Artist, poet, and filmmaker, James Billian, will debut his short film, “Puppets of Xylos,” a Doctor Who fan fiction piece, on Saturday, July 16, 2016 from 4:00 to 8:00 P.M. at the Knights of Columbus, “Columbian Room,” 9707 Rosensteel Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20910. The filmmaker, many of the actors, and members of the production team will be available to discuss the film and meet new fans at a Q&A session following the showing.

James worked with his friends, Erik Kristopher Myers, a filmmaker from Baltimore, Margie Cuff, Eileen del Valle, Peter Sittner, and Mary Brogan from St. John’s Parish, and other volunteers from the Knights of Columbus and St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Silver Spring, to write the script, scout filming locations, design costumes and makeup, design and build the sets, act, direct, and produce the film. Working as a team, friends and volunteers shared their knowledge and always respected James as a colleague, friend, and equal. The best part of the whole film project was seeing James blossom. James got to show his artistic side, his sense of humor, and his leadership qualities. He gained experienced in every aspect of the filmmaking process. The project took over two years to complete and is the first from James Billian Presents / JBillian Productions.

“Eileen was very patient and helpful to James on his film project. She was able to suggest ideas and changes, while being collaborative and productive.” – Margie Billian, James’ mother

Join James and his team at the premiere of “Puppets of Xylos” on Saturday, July 16, 2016, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at The Knights of Columbus “Columbian Room” at 9707 Rosensteel Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20910. Doors will open at 4:00 p.m. and the concession stand will be open for refreshments. The film’s running time is approximately 10 minutes. The location is accessible by Metro at the Forest Glen Station on the Red Line.

James receives services from Jubilee Association of Maryland. Jubilee Association of Maryland provides services and support to adults with developmental disabilities like James, who is on the autism spectrum. Jubilee Association of Maryland helped to connect James with friends and volunteers in the community. The volunteers enjoyed working on a very interesting and fun project that allowed them to use their creativity.

Donations are welcome and will be accepted at the door. The room capacity is 250. Please RSVP to Margie Cuff at margiecuff@gmail.com or (240) 620-3107.

All media are invited to attend the event. Contact Alycia Alexander at Jubilee Association of Maryland at 301-949-8628 ext. 114 or aalexander@jubileemd.org for more information.