The Issue:
Mountaintop Removal mining is a type of surface coal mining requiring the complete defoliation of mountaintops in conjunction with aggressive blasting, permanently altering the landscape and natural environment. The waste products associated with this type of mining and subsequent coal refinement have affected the health of local communities for decades.

Most Americans are shocked to learn that nearly half of the electricity used in the United States today is produced by coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel.

The Film:
Written produced and directed by Phylis Geller, with Executive Producer Mari-Lynn Evans, Coal Country delves into small towns in rural West Virginia, Virginia and Ohio and spotlights the larger than life members of these communities who have brought the issues and dangers of mountaintop removal to the national consciousness. The film also profiles a mining executive who truly believes he is being responsible and following the law. 'Coal Country' just concluded a sneak preview theatrical release in New York and LA, and will be shown during special screenings and events taking place across the country this fall.

The Broadcast:
Making its national television debut, Discovery Networks' Planet Green channel will begin airing Coal Country on November 14th, with a premiere at 8:00pm EST. Coal Country will be part of Planet Green's new Saturday Night Series of independent features called REEL IMPACT. Planet Green will re-air Coal Country on November 19th at 8pm PST.

The CD and DVD:
Out November 10th, the companion CD Coal Country Music features an array of artists whose songs tell of the struggle for survival in coal country. Each artist donated their music, with net proceeds from the album to be used to stop Mountaintop Removal. Also on November 10th, the Coal Country documentary will be available to own on DVD at major retailers and online destinations.

The Book:
To be released by Sierra Club Books in November, the companion volume Coal Country: Rising Up Against Mountaintop Removal provides additional insight into the voices and issues put forth by the film via a series of essays, photos, and personal histories. The book features notes from the film's personalities as well as writing from Wendell Berry, Silas House, and Denise Giardina and entertainers Ashley Judd, Loretta Lynn, and Kathy Mattea.

Events and screenings:
All of the participating organizations, including The Sierra Club and Earth Justice, are collaborating for an ambitious series of previews and screenings of the documentary across the country, often in conjunction with musical performances. Highlights include a major event on October 20th, at New York's Town Hall featuring Diana Jones, the Klezmatics, Kathy Mattea and Jean Ritchie, as well as similar events including San Francisco on September 30th and the series culmination in Los Angeles on November 12th at the Grammy Museum.

On November 10th, Heartwood will release 'Coal Country Music,' the companion CD to the documentary Coal Country slated for concurrent national broadcast and DVD release.

With all tracks donated by a stellar cast of renowned musicians, 'Coal Country Music' is dedicated to supporting a movement to end the practice of mountaintop removal coal mining exposed in Coal Country -- net proceeds from the release will benefit the Alliance for Appalachia.

'Coal Country Music' is a poignant collection of songs inspired by the central role the Appalachian Mountains have played in American music, history, and culture. From the brilliantly raw and never before released recording of Willie Nelson performing Bob Dylan's “Blowin' In the Wind” to Diana Jones' heart rending “Appalachia,” John Prine's classic “Paradise,” and Natalie Merchant's “Which Side Are You On” the songs tell of the struggle for survival in coal country.

A portrait of mountaintop removal coal mining and the personal stories of those it affects, the documentary Coal Country will also see national release as a DVD on November 10th, and will premiere on the Discovery Networks' Planet Green channel on November 14th in the new film series Reel Impact.

Spanning a cross-section of uniquely American musical styles, and startlingly topical, the album's music marks the perfect complement, with songs chronicling the passions and sorrows common to the real life characters and communities so powerfully portrayed in the film.

Tracklist

1. Cedar Hill Refugees with Ralph Stanley “Keys to the Kingdom”
2. Gillian Welch “Acony Bell”
3. Celeste Krenz “Big Coal River”
4. Jason and the Scorchers “Beat on the Mountain”
5. John Prine “Paradise”
6. Kathy Mattea “Red Winged Blackbird”
7. Justin Townes Earle “Down in the Valley”
8. Jason Wilber “In Her Veins”
9. Shirley Stewart Burns “Leave Those Mountains Down”
10. Natalie Merchant “Which Side Are You On”
11. Diana Jones “Appalachia”
12. Tom T. Hall “I'm a Coal Mining Man”
13. John Prine & Bonnie Raitt “Angel From Montgomery” – Duet
14. Phylis Geller “Canary”
15. Jean Ritchie “Now is the Cool of the Day”
16. The Klezmatics “Heaven”
17. Schuyler Fisk “(It's a) Long Walk Home”
18. Public Outcry “Can't Put it Back (Wrecklamation Song)”
19. Willie Nelson “ Blowin' in the Wind”

More information on supporting organizations can be found here:
Planet Green's REEL IMPACT: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/reel-impact.html
The Sierra Club: http://www.sierraclub.org
Earth Justice: http://www.earthjustice.org
The Alliance for Appalachia: http://www.theallianceforappalachia.org/
To Preorder and Purchase Products: http://www.liaisondistribution.com/

For more information on the film as well as issue and event updates:
http://www.coalcountrythemovie.com

For additional information on the CD, Heartwood and mountaintop removal
http://www.heartwood.org
http://www.theallianceforappalachia.org

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