Audience Favorite Award - Dances With Films Audience Favorite Award - International Family Film Festival Best Picture, Director, Actor and Supporting Actress - Delaware Valley Film Festival
Festivals
Dances With Films International Family Film Festival Pacific Palisades Film Festival Delaware Valley Film Festival
Always Will's Interests
General
ALWAYS WILL was written, directed, photographed and edited by Michael Sammaciccia
Produced by Matthew Petrilla, Michael Sammaciccia and Chip Schofield
Production Design by Ryan Meers
Original music composed by Michael Aharon (Saint of 9/11, sound on Philadelphia).
Starring Andrew Baglini, John Schmidt, Mark Schroeder, Noelle Meixell, Andrew Sammaciccia, Matthew Petrilla, Katie Fitzpatrick, Jody Seymour, Bart Mallard, Jake Voigtsberger, Colin Hartzell, Jeff Vent, David Rhoton, and Gina Aversa.
Music
These musicians contributed to the ALWAYS WILL soundtrack:
After uncovering a time capsule buried by his elementary school class, Will, now a high school senior, discovers he can change his past mistakes and achieve the kind of popularity that every teenager yearns for. But when his unhappy mom shares regrets of her own, Will is faced with his most important decision yet.
Will his decision to make a change for his mother’s happiness backfire? Can he keep his friends and still salvage his future?
Ultimately, Will must take responsibility for all of his actions, while coming to terms with not only who he is, but who he’ll never be.
The Making of ALWAYS WILL…
Filmmaker Michael Sammaciccia was the Executive In Charge of Production for the Disney film HOLES (his friend Chip Schofield told him about the successful kids’ book). The film was a huge success and Mike left his job at production company Walden Media on a high note…ready to make a family film of his own.
Sammaciccia wrote ALWAYS WILL and decided to bring it to his hometown of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania - to his former school district, the largest in PA…Upper Darby. He formed Windermere Pictures and recruited producers Matthew Petrilla and Chip Schofield (both graduates of UDHS as well). They had one clear plan: to make ALWAYS WILL!
The "independent" production would of course operate well outside Hollywood standards but, as it turned out, the production would unfold beyond traditional "indie" standards as well. In order to get the film made, the production needed to do something never done before - ask the students to participate in the making of it! Mike got in front of 3,000 students and asked for their help - both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. The response was overwhelming and "Film Club" was born!
The entire cast was chosen from the large and diverse student body at Upper Darby High School and Hillcrest Elementary School. To capture this authenticity, the shooting schedule was built around the kids. Orthodontist appointments, driving lessons, sports practices and family dinners were all juggled throughout the shoot, which occurred over the 2003-2004 school year. Windermere Pictures also needed to capitalize on actual events taking place. For example, as the school pep rally unfolded, "Film Club" immobilized and took advantage of such production value…
On a daily basis, the students brought so much more to the production than ever anticipated…costumes, props and creative ideas! This was a new way of filmmaking! "Film Club" was paving the way - improvising against the ways of traditional movie making.
The film was shot with a single camera, minimal lighting equipment and a "Film Club-made" track and dolly rig. Windermere Pictures completed every scene of the family film just one month before the end of the school year.
Editing on the fly in his parents' basement using Final Cut Pro and his Mac lap top computer, Mike had a rough cut of the film completed by June, just nine months after he had returned home with a dream.
Not only was "Film Club" a huge success, but as a result of their efforts, a "cinematic yearbook" now exists in the form of a great family film.
ALWAYS WILL and its "Film Club" are a testament to how anything can be accomplished - if you have dedicated people who believe.
The experience and memories of making this movie will remain with the kids in "Film Club" for the rest of their lives - a unique aspect of their lives in school. But the story doesn't stop there…
ALWAYS WILL hit the film festival circuit last year and was a hit, winning multiple awards including the Audience Award at Dances With Films in Hollywood, the Top Applause Award at the International Family Film Festival, and Best Actor (Andrew Baglini), Best Supporting Actress (Jody Seymour), Best Director and Best Picture at the Delaware Valley Film Festival. It has played at four film festivals covering both coasts to much acclaim...
"The movies that screen at Dances With Films don't arrive with much pre-festival buzz, but are propelled instead by a wave of enthusiasm and hope on the part of their makers, and also the festival's programmers, who have a sweetly un-cynical desire to give new filmmakers a shot at Hollywood glory. In the festival's ninth year, this egalitarian spirit is exemplified perfectly by Michael Sammaciccia's "Always Will", a vibrantly edited teen drama shot at two suburban Pennsylvania schools over the course of one academic year, with the cooperation of staff and students alike. Their on screen presence brings scale and authenticity to a clever tale of a 15 year old boy who discovers a way to go back in time to repair his mistakes" --- Chuck Wilson, LA Weekly.
I loved the movie! I loaned it out to a UD Alumni in July who has not yet returned it soooo, I am buying my second copy. I was at Hillcrest during some of the filming with the students and can hardly wait to see it again! GREAT MOVIE!!
Just saw "Always Will". Loved seeing the neighborhood and our old High School. You guys did a great job. The movie was really well done. I really felt like I knew the characters. Although I graduated from UD 17 yrs ago, I knew those guys! It was a joy to watch. Congratualtions!!!
