Rising actors Reign Edwards and Charlie Gillespie star in Love You Anyway, a drama from Wayfarer Studios and first-time director Anna Matz. The project is part of the Six Feet Apart experiment created by Wayfarer's Justin Baldoni, the filmmaker behind the Disney+ drama Clouds. The initiative challenged the storytellers to look beyond the social isolation of COVID-19 and use the current circumstances to drive the film project forward.
In Love You Anyway, the evolving formats of home video chronicle the life of a young woman, Mackenzie (Edwards), from birth to adulthood as she experiences the ups and downs of life alongside her childhood best friend, Lucas (Gillespie). ). As Mackenzie's struggle with depression worsens over the years, she is forced to find the will to fight alongside the people who love her most.
According to Wayfarer, the film hopes to show how mental health issues develop and evolve, and ultimately how they are treated and conquered through love and support. Matz and her cinematographer, Andrés Aragón, are shooting much of the film on an iPhone, out of a desire to be authentic to the formats and moments seen in the film. Wayfarer said the filmmakers believe this form of capture will lead to raw performances, shot by the actors themselves, that stay true to the moments of connection, relationship and individuality that people have saved on their phones.
“With this story, my main concern has always been to stay true to the experiences of young people growing up, falling in love and learning to live with the challenges they face,” said Matz. “Specifically in Mackenzie's journey, I wanted to create a medium for understanding mental health in a way that you don't often see on screen. I hope that this story can show mentally healthy people the complexity of depression, as well as show people with depression that there is a future for them in this world.”
Gillian White (The Oval) is also on board as Mackenzie's mother, while other cast members include Akira Akbar, Ryan McCartan and Anna Grace Barlow. Part of the Six Feet Apart Experiment involves having first-time directors paired with established filmmakers. Matz, who is 23 and graduated from Biola University's Film and Media Arts program last year, is being mentored by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the directors behind Bad Boys for Life.
Edwards will be seen this December as one of the leads in the Amazon drama series The Wilds and is also part of the cast of FX's Snowfall. Other recent credits include the horror film Hellfest and a recurring role on MacGyver. She is represented by manager Nils Larsen of Integral Artists, Hyperion and attorney Alex Kohner of Morris Yorn.