Chiara Aurelia – Secret Summer

By starrymag | April 2, 2016

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

 

A) I just finished two short films! Most recently, I filmed The Golden Year, which is written and directed by Salvador Paskowitz (Age of Adaline). Some of my co-stars in this film are Johnny Dowers (The Bridge), Jules Bruff (Part Time Fabulous), Bianca Santos (The Duff) and Cody Saintgnue (“Teen Wolf”). The other film I completed is Good People. In my most recent TV release, I played young Ellie on the new Freeform show “Recovery Road.” Adult me was played by Haley Lu Richardson, who is awesome as is this show. That was an amazing dramatic role and I worked with director Jennifer Lynch who I love. I also have four films I have been asked to play the lead in upcoming in the coming year or so, all of which I am excited to be a part of. These are projects writer / directors are developing and I have worked with them before.

 

Q) Please tell us the premise of your film Secret Summer and about your character Hailey.

 

A) Secret Summer is about myself and my brother (Max Page) getting to spend the summer with our Uncle Jake (Derek Theler) in a small town in the mountains. We have grown up in a big city so it takes us a while to adjust to this small town with no phone reception or shopping malls! My character is not looking forward to this trip.  Once we adjust to this huge change from our normal daily lives, we actually enjoy spending quality time together. Along this journey we meet Rachel (Lindsey Shaw). She has come to this town to appraise the library and we find out she will eventually tear it down. This library is the heart of the town and one of the only things in it that keeps everyone together. We realize we must fight to make sure they won’t tear it down! My character, Hailey, grew up in a big city her whole life where she never experienced the importance of family the way she does in this situation. But over time she realizes in this little town, the library matters to people. And if it is torn down, it will bring the community down with it. I hope viewers will be able to watch this film to see what happens with this and how our movie plays out.

 

Q) What made you want to be a part of the film? 

 

A) I wanted to be a part of this film because it has such a great cast and crew. Also because I love the concept of a family friendly, fun movie with a good story line like this one!  I also appreciate the opportunity to be a part of such a great project.

 

Q) What was it like working with costars Max Page, Derek Theler & Lindsey Shaw?

 

A) It was amazing to work with such great actors and human beings! By the end of the shoot we were all like one big happy family. Sometimes after long days of shooting we would go out to dinner or go to a movie. We became a family ourselves during this film.

 

Q) What were some of your most memorable moments from filming the movie?

 

A) I have so many memories from this set such as the time we shot a scene where I was eating chocolate chip pancakes. When we started shooting this scene, I thought the pancakes were so delicious so I ate as much as I could. As the scene went on, I started to get more and more full and by the end of it I was so stuffed with pancakes I could barely move. I was pancake full!  Also, Derek would give me piggy back rides in between shots and this was the first time I could touch the ceiling because he is so tall and standing next to him, his legs are as long as my whole body!  And Lindsey and I had a blast with a daily Dubsmash that the cast jumped in on.

 

Q) What advice did director Rick Bota give you that you took to heart?

 

A) It was amazing to work with Rick Bota because throughout this shoot he was always very kind and calm. And he seemed really comfortable working with kids. He was truly amazing to work with! He also knew what he wanted and was very detailed in explaining it, which was very helpful on set. It was important to Rick that the acting was natural to us and this was great direction. I also really enjoyed working daily with this entire cast and crew.

 

Q) You are a part of social medial. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you will be receiving?

 

A) Yes, I am excited to hear what my fans think of this movie! It will be coming out on different platforms over time so I hope to hear their reactions. It is amazing how much information we share together quickly on social media and it is fun to be able to do this.

 

Q) What makes the movie such a good fit for the PixL Channel?

 

A) PixL provides films the whole family will love without commercials and interruptions. I like PixL because today it is very difficult to find movies that are not too inappropriate for kids, but that are still enjoyable for the adults. Secret Summer is such a good fit for PixL because it is perfect for the whole family.

 

Q) What do you hope viewers take away from watching Secret Summer?

 

A) I hope that as Secret Summer viewers finish this movie they will realize how lucky we are when we do have family and community! And it is just great fun to go to the mountains and have a good time with your relatives and meet people along the way as I did in this film.

 

 

Q) You frequently work with organizations like NKLA and the Dolphin Project. Why are they so important to you?

 

A) They are so important to me because I want to use all of the power provided through acting and social media to help create good on our planet! I have always been a dog and dolphin lover and volunteering for NKLA and giving funds to help animals without a home gives me a great feeling. I am able to go there every month or so and have given 10% of the money I earn acting to their organization. They want to make LA a no-kill city, which is an amazing and important goal I am happy to help with. Dolphins are incredible and the work the Dolphin Project is doing is very important to help people be aware of their treatment and sad situation that often is not shown when we interact with them. I believe if I am lucky enough to have a platform in the world, I should use it to help others!

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Thank you so much for all of your support! It means the world to me. My favorite thing is acting and I am so grateful for the opportunity to perform. I hope you enjoy watching Secret Summer as much as we enjoyed making it!