THE WAY is Emilio Estevez's fourth film as writer/director and marks the third collaboration with his actor/father, Martin Sheen. Emilio has established himself not only as an accomplished actor, but also as a talented writer, director and producer. In 2006, he wrote, directed and co-starred in the Golden Globe nominated for Best Picture BOBBY, which revisits the night Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in 1968 and is set against the backdrop of the cultural issues gripping the country at the time, including racism, sexual inequality and class differences.

He made his acting debut in Tim Hunter's TEX and appeared in Francis Ford Coppola's ensemble drama THE OUTSIDERS, both based on S.E. Hinton novels.

Estevez' performance as a quintessential high-school jock in John Hughes' THE BREAKFAST CLUB won him widespread attention and acclaim. Later that same year, he went on to appear in ST. ELMOS'S FIRE before starring in THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW, for which he also wrote the screenplay.
Estevez made his directorial debut in 1986 with WISDOM, which he also wrote and starred in. In 1996, Estevez directed Martin Sheen for the first time in the Vietnam drama THE WAR AT HOME which Emilio also starred in and produced. In 2000, he directed and co-starred alongside his brother, Charlie Sheen, in Showtime's RATED X which was the first time Estevez and Sheen portrayed brothers on screen. Other film credits include, REPO MAN, STAKEOUT, YOUNG GUNS, YOUNG GUNS II, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, and THE MIGHT DUCKS.

In addition to creating original material as a screenwriter, the past few years has also seen Emilio working behind the camera, directing many popular television shows including, "Cold Case," "CSI:NY" "Numbers" and "The Guardian.

Estevez is currently preparing his next film JOHNNY LONGSHOT – a sports family franchise film set in the world of competitive harness racing, that he will direct and star.

When not working in film and TV, Emilio, an avid gardener, enjoys working outdoors in his organic micro-farm, growing heirloom vegetables, raising chickens and tending his pinot noir grape vines that produce his own wines under the Casa Dumetz label.

Martin Sheen is one of our most celebrated, colorful, and accomplished journeyman actors.

The Ohio native has appeared in more than 65 feature films including a star turn as Army Captain Benjamin L. Willard in Francis Ford Coppola's landmark film APOCALYPSE NOW, which brought Sheen worldwide recognition. Other notable credits include WALL STREET (with son Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas), the Academy Award©-winning film GANDHI (with Sir Ben Kingsley), CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (with Leonardo DiCaprio & Tom Hanks), THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT (with Michael Douglas & Annette Bening), and a Golden Globe© nominated breakthrough performance in THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES.

In 2006, Sheen played ill-fated cop Oliver Queenan in Martin Scorsese's Academy Award©-winning film THE DEPARTED opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, and Alec Baldwin.

The same year, Sheen joined another all-star ensemble cast for the highly acclaimed feature BOBBY, written and directed by his son Emilio Estevez. BOBBY was nominated for a Golden Globe© Award and SAG Award© among others. The film also starred Anthony Hopkins, Harry Belafonte, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Hunt, Brian Geraghty, Sharon Stone, William H. Macy, Elijah Wood, Demi Moore, and Shia LaBeouf.

For television audiences, Sheen is best recognized for his award-winning role as President Josiah Bartlet in NBC's THE WEST WING.

Sheen is a passionate peace and justice activist. He has been arrested or cited 67 times for taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against various U.S. military policies, and has championed such causes as the alleviation of poverty and homelessness, human rights for migrant workers, and environmental protection.

In 2008, along with Carlos Santana and Edward James Olmos, Sheen became a National Co-Chair of the effort to win a Federal holiday for the late Cesar E. Chavez, founder of the United Farm Workers.

The same year, the University of Notre Dame presented Sheen with the Laetare Medal, the oldest and most prestigious award given to an American Catholic. Since 1883, the Laetare Medal has been awarded annually to a Catholic "whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, illustrated the ideals of the church and enriched the heritage of humanity."

Former recipients include: President John F. Kennedy, Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr., Sister Helen Prejean, Speaker of the House Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Jr., Catholic Worker Movement founder Dorothy Day, and Ambassador and author Clare Boothe Luce.

As the first Canadian accepted into Australia's prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), award-winning actress Deborah Kara Unger debuted with Russell Crowe in BLOOD OATH, and has co-starred in such films as: David Fincher's THE GAME with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn, Norman Jewison's HURRICANE with Denzel Washington, PAYBACK with Mel Gibson, David Cronenberg's CRASH with James Spader, SIGNS AND WONDERS with Stellan Skarsgard and Charlotte Rampling, Catherine Hardwicke's THIRTEEN with Holly Hunter, SALTON SEA with Val Kilmer, and 88 MINUTES with Al Pacino.

The recipient of the Geraldine Page Best Actress Award opposite Sir Ian Mckellen in EMILE, and Canadian Academy Award nominations co-starring opposite Sophia Loren and Gerard Depardieu in BETWEEN STRANGERS, and Ralph Fiennes in Istvan Szabo's SUNSHINE, Ms. Unger's additional films include the critically acclaimed STANDER with Thomas Jane, THE WEEKEND with Gena Rowlands, LOVE SONGS FOR BOBBY LONG with John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson, WHITE NOISE with Michael Keaton, LEO with Dennis Hopper and Sam Shepard, and Roger Spottiswoode's Rwandan genocide film SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL.

Ms. Unger was honored with the Imagery Award at Cinema Epicurea, and is the recipient of the Libertae Award for her commitment to the spirit of independence in film.

Jimmy Nesbitt is a Northern Irish actor.  He studied at The Central School of Speech and Drama in London. After graduating in 1987, he spent seven years performing in plays that varied from the musical Up on the Roof (1987, 1989) to the political drama Paddywack (1994). He made his feature film debut playing talent Fintan O'Donnell in HEAR MY SONG (1991). Nesbitt got his breakthrough television role playing Adam Williams in the romantic comedy-drama Cold Feet (ITV, 1998–2003), which won him a British Comedy Award, a Television and Radio Industries Club Award, and a National Television Award. His first significant film role came when he appeared as pig farmer "Pig" Finn in WAKING NED (1998). Nesbitt has also starred in Murphy's Law (BBC One, 2001–2007) as undercover detective Tommy Murphy—a role that was created for him by writer Colin Bateman. The role twice gained Nesbitt Best Actor nominations at the Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTA). In 2004, he starred in the fact-based drama Wall of Silence as the father of a murdered boy, a role that gained him another IFTA nomination. In 2007, he starred in the dual role of Tom Jackman and Mr Hyde in Steven Moffat's Jekyll, which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination in 2008. Nesbitt has since appeared in several more dramatic roles; he starred alongside Liam Neeson in FIVE MINUTES OF HEAVEN (2009), was one of three lead actors in the television miniseries Occupation (2009), and has filmed a role in the upcoming miniseries The Deep. Has also filmed roles in the movies OUTCAST (2010) and Emilio Estevez's THE WAY (2010).

Yorick van Wageningen is a Dutch actor, who is known for his intense acting style.

After acting in several Dutch plays, movies, and television series, His breakthrough hit was with his role in CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, which earned him much praise by lead actor Vin Diesel. He has starred opposite Amanda Burton, Vin Diesel, Angelina Jolie, Judi Dench, Colin Farrell, Christian Bale, Christopher Plummer and Clive Owen.

After he went to the United States he did not appear in any Dutch film until his return in 2008, starring in OORIOGSWINTER (WINTER IN WARTIME), based on a famous Dutch children's book about World War II.

David's journey on THE WAY began in 2008 when Emilio saw a documentary David directed/produced called LONG WAY DOWN.  At the time Emilio was scripting THE WAY and he asked David if he would come aboard to produce. Having previously directed/produced two adventure series that circumnavigated the globe, David was uniquely qualified for the task.

In LONG WAY ROUND, David chronicled the odyssey of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they biked more than 20,000 miles from London to New York - through Europe, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia, Far Eastern Russia and North America.  The mini-series aired in over 175 countries around the world and the book about the journey sold more than one million copies. Two years later the team reunited for LONG WAY DOWN, this time highlighting a ride from the northern most tip of Scotland, through Europe, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Namibia and South Africa.

With this wealth of experience in hand, David flew with Emilio to Spain to begin a different sort of road trip, an ancient pilgrimage called the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.  David and Emilio spent the next few months travelling along the 800km trek location scouting, hiring local crew, casting, and producing the THE WAY. The decision resulted in one of the most heartwarming journeys, both on camera and off, which audiences acutely feel and enjoy throughout the film.

Upon wrapping THE WAY, David traveled to South Africa to direct/produce a documentary with Ziggy Marley and his brothers Rohan and Robbie. On a short deadline, David filmed the Marleys, criss-crossing the country during the World Cup, jamming with local musicians, and organizing a charity concert in Soweto promoting African Unity.

Ambient electronic textures. Intoxicating vocal melodies, driving hypnotic rhythms -- these are just some of the phrases to describe the musical innovations of Tyler Bates. Whether as one of the most sought-after composers scoring hit films WATCHMEN, 300, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN and HALLOWEEN 2, scoring Showtime's hit comedy "Californication," or writing music for videogames such as ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY, Activision's upcoming TRANSFORMERS and the 300 and Watchmen games, Bates is creating some of the most distinctive music today. His latest projects include Zack Snyder's SUCKER PUNCH, Emilio Estevez's THE WAY, James Gunn's SUPER, and Genndy Tartakovsky's upcoming animated series for Cartoon Network "Sym-Bionic Titan."

Bates' music possesses a timbre of its own, attracting visionary filmmakers who aim to make extraordinary films with commercial appeal. His work on Zack Snyder's battle epic 300 embodies expansive orchestral and choral themes that express a sweeping range of color and emotion with a heavy rock attitude. Snyder responded to Bates' score concept for DAWN OF THE DEAD, and hired him to create the music for his zombie epic, which became an instant classic in the horror movie genre. Both Rob Zombie and DAWN script-writer James Gunn recognized the affect of Bates' music for DAWN, and recruited him to score their films, THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, HALLOWEEN 1 and 2 and SLITHER, respectively, which have joined the pantheon of cult classic films and earned Bates' the moniker the Devil's DJ by his directors!

The film that cemented Bates' career in scoring movies was director Stephen Kay's art house Be-Bop film, THE LAST TIME I COMMITTED SUICIDE, starring Keanu Reeves, Adrien Brody, and Thomas Jane. This film, whose critically acclaimed soundtrack was released on Blue Note Records, led to their collaboration on several films, including GET CARTER; the catalyst to Bates' stylistic emergence as a film composer. Bates followed up with Matt Dillon's directorial debut, CITY OF GHOSTS, and Mario Van Peebles' acclaimed BAADASSSSS!

Early in his career, while composing a string of low-budget films, Bates, along with singer-songwriter Lisa Papineau, formed the band, Pet. The duo created a stir in Los Angeles that attracted the interest of many industry veterans and artists including Tori Amos, who after seeing them perform began a campaign to get the band a major-label record deal. Pet recorded their Atlantic Records debut at Amos' hillside castle in rural Ireland in 1996. Pet soon had a platinum record to their credit for the song "Lil' Boots," from the "The Crow: City Of Angels" soundtrack album, and began touring stints with Blink 182, Limp Bizkit, and Social Distortion. By late 1997, Bates' desire to write and record music on a daily basis prompted him to leave the group and focus his energies solely on scoring films.

Tyler Bates spent his formative years in Chicago, developing his keen obsession with music. An avid enthusiast, his mother introduced him to a wide range of recording artists; from Zappa to Coltrane, Simon and Garfunkel to Sly Stone. The soundtrack albums for the Broadway musicals "Hair" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" left an indelible impression upon him, both compositionally and emotionally.

At age ten, his hard-partying teenage cousins introduced him to Led Zeppelin and Kiss, which was all it took for Bates to drop his alto saxophone for an electric guitar. He then found the early records of U2, Gang of Four, and King Crimson, which influenced the principles apparent in his music today. The limitations of his home studio equipment became an integral part of his creative process; sparking an experimental approach in effort to complete his compositional ideas.

At age thirteen he began daisy-chaining cassette recorders to produce multi-track recordings. An Echoplex and other sound mutation devices became the gateway to his atmospheric explorations and counter-rhythmic sensibilities, as he studied the effects of varying tape speeds on live and pre-recorded sound sources.

By nineteen, Bates managed a trading firm in Chicago while enjoying the beginnings of great success in bands, but he could not ignore the calling to expand his career in music. In 1993, fueled by an offer to score a movie that paid less than a month's rent, Bates returned to his native Los Angeles with little experience in making music for films.

In 2010, with more than 40 films and 17 years experience scoring movies, Bates is at the forefront of innovation in film music, steadfastly finding new ways to connect the emotional with the abstract and the organic with electronic.

Spanish Cinematographer Juanmi was born in San Sebastian, Spain and dreamed of becoming a musician. To get closer to his favorite rock bands, he started taking photographs at concerts in his hometown. Upon moving to Madrid for college, he got a chance to apprentice on a film set and never left. For the past 20 years he has worked on more than 70 films in addition to numerous commercials and music videos that have taken him all around the world where he still manages to visit local record shops at every opportunity.

On a recent trip to Los Angeles, his first stop was Amoeba records in Hollywood before our meeting to discuss his experience working on the THE WAY, which he agreed to do before even reading the script. He said the decision was both a personal and professional one that serendipitously happened at the perfect time. The Camino de Santiago had been an important part of his upbringing on account of his father, who has done the Camino four times, with plans to do it again on his upcoming 70th birthday. As a young man, Juanmi respected his father for making the pilgrimage but had no interest in walking the Camino himself. This film has changed that. Working on THE WAY has given him a deeper connection with his father, a richer knowledge of his work and his country, and a newfound interest in following this historical path.

Why did you choose to work on this film?

I didn't even think about it for a minute. I said yes before even reading the script. Two or three months before Emilio called me I saw BOBBY and I thought that it was a really good movie and
when he called me I couldn't believe it.

What was your father's reaction when you told him you were working on THE WAY?

He was very excited when I told him about this film. He came to the set five times. Of all the movies I have done he has never given a shit about any of them. But the day I told him about the Camino he said, "Ok! I know a lot about the Camino," and he bought a book about the Camino and he gave it to the producers!

Did this film change your perspective about Spain?

Not about Spain because I knew most of the places because I travel a lot, but by the time we finished the film I wanted to walk the Camino. During production we were totally involved with the people, countryside, the hostels, and the churches of northern Spain, which only strengthened my desire. Also, I had always wanted to do the Camino with my godfather, but now I am seriously thinking about doing it alone. It has to be a good experience of walking alone for 21-31 days. If you are with another person you don't need to meet anyone. If you are alone you need help and you will help others. You are forced to meet people and these days, most people don't do that. We generally go to a bar, stay on our own and hardly talk to anyone. So I think it is a reconnection to the land and the people. I am doing it for fun, for sport and for the experience.

What did you think when you saw the film?

I am very happy with the movie but I have to wait at least 5 years to be comfortable with my work on a film. This happens to me always with every movie I do. Right now I am too attached to the film. I am too attached to the crew, the actors, to the story. It is like going to the school theater to see your son play. The problem is that you aren't seeing the play. You are seeing your son play. So now I am seeing my son playing and I need to see the whole play and I am not able to see it. It takes me a long time to see a movie I have worked on as an audience member.

Watching now do you remember shooting the film or was it a dream?

I remember every single second of it. Maybe I don't remember what I ate yesterday morning for breakfast but I remember everything about the shoot. Every t-stop and what I did that night and what was happening on the set and if I argued with the AD (assistant director). And Emilio does to. Making a movie is such a strong experience. It is a few months of your life that you live only for that. There is nothing in the world that can disturb you from making the movie. It is like having a girlfriend you remember every single moment that you passed with that girl. After a few years you forget a little bit and you only remember the hot spots but now it is very fresh.

You have talked before about Spain being one of the main characters in the movie. How did you want to represent our country?

The beautiful thing about the northern Spanish landscape that we covered is the diversity. You go from a very green area in the mountains to a very dry area in Castilla and then back again toward a green area in Galicia, and in the case of this movie, all the way to the sea in Muxia, which is spectacular. I tried to respect the landscape and not do anything weird. I know the land very well so I am was concerned about representing it properly. Others may say it is gorgeous like it is, and it is beautiful like it is, but my eye is more critical.
The truth is if I go to Zuma beach to shoot, for instance, I will say, "Wow this is fantastic exactly the way it is." But maybe to someone who sees it everyday they will say, "No the beach is not the right color and that police car over there shouldn't be there," where I would think, "Wow that police car is perfect, what a perfect police car!" It is all about perspective.

Is there a favorite scene you liked shooting?

I enjoyed the river scene with Martin and I enjoyed the dinner scene in Akeretta. I also liked the ending at the sea. It was a very, very hard day. It was raining and the weather was horrible and we couldn't shoot for hours. And suddenly, the rain stopped, the sky opened and it was a wonderful day. I can't tell you how lucky we were. If there is a God he gave me all the favors for my life on this film because our weather was perfect the whole time, which is unusual in the fall when we were shooting. So that was particularly interesting. Also was the end of the movie was the end of the Camino and the end of the journey for all of us.

What was it like working with Emilio?

Super easy. First of all because he knows what he wants and that is always great. He is also very good with actors, he is an actor and he knows very well how to treat the actors and direct them. That is more than half the battle in a movie. Then he wrote a good script with good lines. At that point I can do shit and the movie is going to be good. Plus, he gave me a lot of freedom as to where I wanted to put the cameras. We had two cameras so we decided together where we wanted the first one and I could pretty much decide on my own where to put the second one and I felt very comfortable.

Also he is also…I don't know how to say it in English, it is asakeela – he is a very easy person to talk to and he listens to you. He is a very good communicator. Plus, he did the one thing that is very difficult to do. The whole crew was in love with him. Everyone would have done anything for him on the set.

How common is that on a film set?

Not very common at all. Sometimes you may have a very good director but he is a mother fucker and he shouts at everyone and sometimes he is a very nice person but not a good director, so it is not that easy at all.

Did Emilio have more of an American or Spanish sensibility on set?

I don't think sensibility has nationality. If you are sensible you are sensible. If you have culture you have culture. Being sensible and being aware of what is happening with the crew and the actors and how the movie is progressing you have to be sensible and that doesn't matter if you are Spanish or English or American.

For most of us in Spain, America is like our second culture. On set I would always talk about American movies, music and bands and places and I remember one day setting up the camera and I said, "Wow this looks like New Hampshire," and Emilio and David both looked at me and laughed like "WHAT? What do you know about New Hampshire? I said, "The problem with you Americans is that I know where New Hampshire is and you don't know anything about where Burgos is!"

How do you think the Spanish audience will view this versus an American audience?

I think in Spain most of the people don't know much about the Camino. In the north of Spain more people know about it because it goes over your house, but in Seville and Valencia, for instance, they know that the Camino exists but they don't know the route. And for sure for most of the people in Spain they will see places they have never seen.

What did you learn throughout this experience?

We shot very fast and we shot a lot of footage. We did what we had to and we did it very well. I learned to shoot faster and to improve every minute on the set and to maximize natural light because that is what we had to use. When we finished the shoot my crew that was made up of my friends kicked my ass because they said that when I am involved in a project I don't think about anything else except the project and that I push them very hard. I always want them to be ready before anyone and I learned to be more aware of how I treat my crew. I do treat them well and I have very high expectations for them because they are very good and they were always ready and prepared but they ended the shoot very tired.

Did you think everyone had fun?

I enjoyed every second on the shoot. I always say that the director and the DP (director of photography) live in Disneyland and the crew has to work very, very hard for us to create Disneyland for us so. They probably enjoy the shoot less than us. If you are inside Mickey Mouse you enjoy it less than when you get to enjoy Mickey Mouse from the outside.

What message do you hope the audience will come away with from watching this movie?

That is impossible to know. That is part of the magic of movies. When I saw the movie I felt very attached to the actors and to the characters so I think the audience is going to react very well because it is a movie about the Camino and four people who are walking with their differences and their own personal problems. And everyone has problems. You can find one of the four characters that is closer to you. In the end if you like watching movies you like watching primarily for the characters, not necessarily for the car chases and the action. It is fun and I like shooting that, but when a movie touches your heart it is because you are attached to a character and to a story and this is a very good story for them.

So how is your dad going to react to this movie?

I think my dad is going to love this movie and he never ever goes to movies.