The Divergent Gift: Unboxing Autism is a documentary that focuses on deepening positive Autistic identity through visualizing the various unseen struggles, challenges, gifts, abilities, and interests of those within the low support-needs or (so called) “mild” presentation of the autistic spectrum. Through pursuing his son’s diagnosis, director Bret Malley questions his own place in the world of Autistic lived-experiences. On a mission for deeper understanding, he and his team of Neurodivergent artists deliver a rich tapestry of animated sequences that punctuate deeply intimate interviews about the struggle to thrive in a culture steeped in more stigma and misconceptions than empathy and acceptance.
Today in the United States, approximately one in thirty one children are officially diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) according to the CDC. But here's what that statistic misses: the millions of adults who've lived their entire lives undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or invalidated (known as the “lost generation”), the families searching for answers, and the educators and employers seeking to understand and better support Neurodivergent individuals.
As every experience of those within the spectrum is unique from person to person (even with a diagnosis or self identifying), visualizing various special abilities, interests, and the challenges of difference is an important journey for normalizing, de-stigmatizing, and encouraging greater support, understanding, acceptance, and even appreciation. From educators to family and friends—or those curious and questioning about themselves—this film resonates on a deep and personal level, and aims to engage and inspire change in equal measure.
This is a film by the community, for the community—and beyond. Join us on the journey and help us sustain and promote this film as we nurture and grow its reach and impact. Contributions will now go to film festival submissions, promotional material, community building, and continuing the creative work of the ND team behind the film!
Thank you for considering supporting this important documentary! And BIG thank you to our current partners, funders, and sponsors: Vanderbilt University and the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Kuni Foundation, Neurodivergent Insights, Chemeketa Community College, Bridges Middle School, Funnelbox Inc. (a certified B-Corp), Avenue, and all of our direct donation community! We could not do this without you all!
And for other neuro-affirming organizations out there interested in partnering or sponsoring, please feel free to reach out directly.
Co-produced by Malley-Media and Funnelbox Inc, we are proud to have assembled a stellar Neurodivergent creative team of artists and animators from Australia, Ukraine, Canada, the UK, and across the US, each bringing their lived experiences to create something unprecedented. With partners such as North Pole Studio, Exceptional-Minds studio, and many other collaborators along the journey, this film truly became a Neurodivergent collective and community.
If you are professional creative, are Autistic/Neurodivergent, and would like to be part of future projects, please feel free to reach out and contact us.
Regrettably, this film cannot be everything for everyone and even dream of capturing the experiences of the whole community, and there are SO many important topics surrounding autism… This film, though, can be a tool for advocacy and bring an often overlooked and growing “area” or profile of the spectrum into sharper focus. More and more individuals (of all ages and walks of life) are wondering about themselves and loved ones, and we hope this will help strengthen the conversation and also help drop some of that damaging stigma and the many assumptions that come with the word autism. From validation to inspiration, challenges and gifts, each person deserves recognition, and better understanding—and to be supported and ultimately embraced. That includes ALL within the spectrum. This film is our attempt at supporting this but one overlooked neighborhood of the Autistic community and being Neurodivergent.
The film is going out on the film festival for 2025-26. Follow our social media for updates and more!
Interview subjects (of Autistics) include Sue Nelson of the BBC, author and journalist Eric Michael Garcia, global advocate Dr. Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, Jordan James (The Autistic Photographer), writer and author Marian Schembari, advocate Maisie Soetanto, multimedia artist Ivan Vejar, and more!
Thanks for the email, first of all! While we appreciate all of the email and inquiries, we cannot always get to them as quickly as we would like—and thank you for your patience! If you have references to other related websites and community resources that others might find valuable and helpful, please feel free to post on our Facebook page.
As a collaborative collective of creatives (say that five times fast), we represent a range of experiences and talents as members of the Neurodivergent and Autistic community. We believe in supporting positive Autistic identity and fostering and strengthening how neurodiversity is represented and accepted within larger communities, families, workplaces, and educational systems. We are also creatively corralled by award winning filmmaker, digital artist, and author Bret Malley. As an educator and professional multimedia artist, this project does not get more personal nor important. Part of this film includes his own journey of seeking an official diagnosis after his nine year old son’s diagnosis.
Glad you asked! Email us or send us a message and we can chat about involvement. We’re always on the lookout for talented animators for future work, VFX artists, filmmakers, and other professional participants in the creative industry, especially if you identify or are otherwise a part of the Neurodivergent community. Also—spread the word about this film on social media and word of mouth! We thank you :-)
Want to support, join the team, get the nesletter, or ask some questions, contact us here: