Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon examines 'King Coal' in Appalachia

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Gabrielle Wilson and Lanie Marsh appear in "King Coal: by Elaine McMillion Sheldon, an official selection of the NEXT section at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

Curren Sheldon

Elaine McMillion Sheldon on "The Sundance Reel" at KPCW Radio.

Central Appalachia is a place of mountains and myth. Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon knows this well, calling those mountains home. Coal has had a profound influence on this community’s identity but Sheldon dares to consider what future stories might look like out of the shadow of coal, now that relationships to coal are changing. She takes us on an alluring cinematic journey through the past, present and future of Appalachia in "King Coal."