Surviving Cliffside
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Brandy Smith
Makala Smith
| Surviving Cliffside | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Jon Matthews |
| Written by | Jon Matthews |
| Starring | E.J. Huffman Brandy Smith Makala Smith |
| Cinematography | Jon Matthews |
| Edited by | Jon Matthews Jennifer Ruff |
| Music by | Lillard Anthony |
Production company | Parting Shots Media |
| Distributed by | Inception Media |
Release date |
|
Running time | 66 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Surviving Cliffside is a 2014 documentary film and the directorial debut of Jon Matthews.[1][2] The film premiered at the 2014 South by Southwest Film Festival[3] and follows a family that lives in a Cliffside, a trailer park in Alum Creek, West Virginia, known for its crime and drugs.[4][5] During production, Jon Matthews was mentored by filmmaker Debra Granik (Winter's Bone, Down to the Bone) and filmmaker Spike Lee, who also awarded him a grant to complete the film.[6]
The film follows Matthews's cousin E.J. Huffman, who lives in Cliffside with his fiance Brandy and his two daughters Josey and Makala. The seven-year-old Makala has leukemia and has decided to compete in the Little Miss West Virginia pageant. The documentary approaches the family's everyday life and the emotional and financial challenges they must deal with, as well as their attempts to survive Makala's leukemia and their own difficult situations.
Cast
- E.J. Huffman
- Brandy Smith
- Makala Smith
- Josey Smith
- R.J. Hughes
- Justin Gravely
- Brooklyn Gravely
- Cierra Gravely
- Jon Matthews
