A note from our director...
In the small Appalachian community where I grew up, and many communities throughout the region, a majority of the children are being raised by their grandparents because their own parents are struggling with or have lost their lives to addiction. My niece is one of those children. Even though she’s one of the most vivacious & brightest kids I’ve ever met, I worry about the fight that lies ahead of her -- to break free of a destructive cycle & a stigma that has preceded her. She is growing up in a community that has been devastated by addiction, & she is surrounded by peers who are experiencing the same life circumstances.
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I haven’t lost hope, though. The heritage of Appalachia is one of strong-willed & resilient people. My hope with this film is to encourage others to reconnect with their heritage, with the land, & the importance of their dreams. I want to also invite non-Appalachians, to challenge their preconceived notions about our region, our people, & the issues we face.
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I moved back from NYC to make this movie in my hometown, with an almost entirely regional cast & crew. All of the extras, as well as the actor who plays Dwayne, are locals from my town. And my nephew, who has seen a parent struggle with addiction, shadowed my Director of Photography - sparking a new love for filmmaking. As it was important to me to do more than just tell a story, we donated 5% of our film’s fundraiser to the Queer Appalachia Drug Recovery Program, an organization that helps LGBTQ Appalachians get & stay clean. I hope you can feel the passion in this film, because that’s the energy that made it all happen.
- Andi
Gardner Grout
Producer/Executive Producer
Andi Morrow
Writer/Director/Producer
Andi is a bi-coastal actor/writer/director, originally from Central Appalachia. She most recently appeared in a co-starring role on FOX TV’s Gotham, the award winning indie film Here Lies Joe, and on stage in the highly rated Fringe NYC Festival play, Scratching.
As co-founder of Amphora Pictures, Gardner has been a producer for the Sundance selected film An Evening with Beverly Linn, the Sundance selected short American Paradise, as well as the Tribeca award-winning Burn Country.
Jared Hagemann
Dir. of Photography
Jared has been working in the TV and Film industry for the past 8 years, doing work in both documentary and scripted projects. He studied at Elizabeth City University and, before moving onto Film/TV, began his career by working for the local CBS news affiliate WVLT. He recently relocated to Los Angeles.
Richard Garber
Producer/Executive Producer
Richard is an executive producer for the Sundance selected film An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn and American Paradise. As co-founder of Amphora Pictures, he is passionate about supporting the arts, health, and education.
Sam Comer
1st AD/Gaffer
Sam is a cinematographer, editor, writer, and director producing nearly 30 short films and mini-docs selected for Nightmares Film Festival, Genre Blast, PDXtreme Portland Horror Film Festival and Crimson Screen Horror Film Festival. Recently Sam took on the role of gaffer/lighting coordinator for the feature film Flirting With Azrael: A Psychedelic Rock Musical, directed by Douglas McDaniel and Stephen Zimmerman.
Kristen Dye
Producer
Kristen has produced countless films, commercials, and television shows for various networks, including A&E, Oxygen, Investigation Discovery, the DIY Network, Great American Country, and INSP. She also produced and directed the award winning documentary feature film Television Pioneer: The Story of Ross K. Bagwell, Sr.
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Jamie Hickman
2nd AD/Script Supervisor
Jamie is a Knoxville, Tennessee based actor, producer, and writer/director. She lived a few years in New York and Los Angeles performing in films and plays. Her own short play was produced off-off Broadway, and she wrote and directed her first short film while in Los Angeles. She recently co-starred and co-wrote the 2018 Ashland Independent Film Festival winner for Best Narrative Feature, Fort Maria.
Alexandria Balsamo
Advisor/Associate Producer
Alexandria Balsamo is a Production Management Consultant specializing in story and content development. She is passionate about inspiring social change through her work and holds a deep commitment to female driven leadership.
Luke Dye
Editor
With twenty-plus years of editing experience, his network credits include Animal Planet, A&E, GAC, HGTV, DIY, TNT and ESPN. His feature film credits include Bandit & The Saints of Dogwood, The Little Ponderosa Zoo for Starz and HBO Family and The Devil You Know starring Rosamund Pike and Jennifer Lawrence. Luke currently works as an editor at RIVR Media in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Ryan Willard
Sound Recordist
Ryan operates as a music composer, sound engineer, and film maker in Knoxville, TN. He also runs his own recording, producing, and mixing studio, Willard of Oz Studios.
Tanner Hancock
Camera Assistant/Production Assistant
A 2016 graduate of the University of Tennessee, Tanner is an eighth generation Tennessean and recent transplant to Appalachia by way of Nashville. In his daily life, Tanner works as a location scout for Knoxville based production company Jupiter Entertainment.
Jazmin Witherspoon
Production Coordinator
Jazmin is a graduate of the University of Tennessee. Her television experience includes both reality and scripted TV series and films. Her most recent work as a production coordinator can be seen on the shows State Plate and Going RV, as well as the films Pusher and Light from Light.
Dylen Terflinger
Audio Mixer
Dylen is a Knoxville based audio engineer and musician. He has worked for North South Productions since 2007.
Michelle Groves
Hair & Make-Up
Kella is a freelance hair and make-up artist, and graduate of AMUA. She is based out of Nashville, TN.
Drew Morgan
Associate Producer
Drew is a stand-up comedian and best-selling author of The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Dragging Dixie Out of the Dark. He makes up one third of the WellRed Comedy Tour and has been featured on MTV, Comedy Central, & as a guest on The View.
Elizabeth Murphy
Production Assistant
Elizabeth is a Knoxville native and graduate of the University of Tennessee. She is a radio host for Knoxville' independent radio station WDVX.
Koroush Ahari
Co-Producer
Koroush is a writer, director, and producer based in San Jose, CA. He is a Partner at Mammoth Pictures.
Alex Bretow
Co-Producer
Alex is a San Jose based producer and actor. He is the Vice President of Agreement Pictures, Partner at Mammoth Pictures, & Chief Financial Consultant of BP Filmworks.
Amy Hubbard
Associate Producer
Amy is a Kentucky native and has been working both sides of the camera since 1990. She was featured in the Sundance award winning short, Gina, An Actress, Age 29. She is currently a Producer for Jupiter Entertainment in Knoxville.
CAST
Andi Morrow
Brittany Lee
Andi is a bi-coastal actor/writer/director, originally from Central Appalachia. She most recently appeared in a co-starring role on FOX TV’s Gotham, the award winning indie film Here Lies Joe, the comedic short film Communin' with the Void directed by Trae Crowder, & on stage in the highly rated Fringe NYC Festival play, Scratching.
Levi is an Atlanta-based actor. He has been working in the film & television industry since 2012 where, in addition to acting, he provides stunt coordination to several production companies. He and wife, Casey, are co-founders of Krevinghaus Entertainment.
Dara jade tiller
Hailey
Dara is a native of Hazard, Kentucky and currently resides in Louisville.
After apprenticing with the Actors Theatre of Louisville, she gained stage & film experience in both New York City and Chicago. She can recently be seen in the TIFF 2018 breakout film Donnybrook (opposite Jamie Bell).
Cindy is an Atlanta native, and began her acting journey later in life -- a retirement career! She has been taking acting classes at Words in Motion and has had supporting roles in 5 independent films. She is happy to be a real life “Mamaw” to a pack of beautiful kids.
Cynthia D. Perry
Barbara
After retiring from a career in Nursing, Cynthia is now a full-time actor living in Atlanta. She can be seen in several indie films including Bound, Mattie: The Discovery, and Anatomy of a Throat.
Amanda is an Atlanta-based actress with years of theatrical experience including performances with the Atlanta Shakespeare Company in productions such as The Crucible, The Tempest, and the titular role in Romeo & Juliet: 60.
Dan tippen
Preacher
After retiring from a 25 year career as a probation officer, Dan was finally able to pursue his dream of acting. Starting in community theater, he has been part of the SXSW Westworld Interactive Immersion Theater and cast in multiple independent films as everything from detective to sleazy motel clerk.
levi krevinghaus
Cindy ralston
Sean Worley
Mamaw
James
April
amanda Lindsey
mcdonald
Dwayne
Sean was born in a small coal town in Appalachia where he spent most of his childhood. He began acting in high school and worked in the industrial film setting for a short time before heading off to college. He became a Registered Nurse and worked in a wide variety of clinical settings before settling into behavioral health. He is a published author, actor, devoted husband and father.
lola taylor
Toddler
Lola is a child actress and model based in the Atlanta area. She is new to film, but is a natural performer!
Jackson Pyle
Bill
Jackson is a Southeastern based actor who can be seen in several films including the 20th Century Fox/Marvel film Fantastic Four, The Nocturnal Third, and A Genesis Found.