WAY UP
A father and son confront colliding stories of gun violence in North Philly over the course of a single day.
WAY UP was shot run-and-gun over two days in Philly with the most incredible outpouring of community support. We interfaced with the local chapter of March For Our Lives, received exceptional access (and wrestlers) from Beat The Streets Philly, entered the classrooms of Kensington High School of the Performing Arts -- where Ismael Jimenez played himself and gave us all a lesson on Civil Rights -- and worked with the sweetest kid in a sad scene at Laurel Hill Cemetery. Young Flames, a youth rap group campaigning for their lives, dropped "Guns Down," which became our credits track. It takes a village to make a film and a community to create change. We'll never forget the neighborhood turning out during the crime scene sequence, offering their own stories of loved and lost. Co-Directed with my brother, Oliver.

Original Music
Young Flames, Camp Candle, Eric Boss, John Morrison
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Director of Photography
Sam Weinstein
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CAST
Dwayne Thomas as Khael
Tyler Andrews as Niles
Neil Samuels as Mortician
Ismael Jimenez as Himself
Ben Samuels as Journalist
Baron Spence as Young Niles
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