Award-Winner ‘King Coal’ Set To Air On Public TV’s ‘POV’ After Acquisition By American Documentary

Matthew Carey

4 December 2023 at 1:00 pm·3-min read

EXCLUSIVE: American Documentary has acquired Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s award-winning documentary King Coal for the upcoming season of POV, the longest-running nonfiction series on television.

The film set in Central Appalachia premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last January and went on to win prizes at the RiverRun International Film Festival, Woods Hole Film Festival, and Seattle International Film Festival, among other festivals. It is expected to debut in the summer of 2024 on POV, the public television series whose films have claimed three Oscars, 47 Emmys, 27 Peabody Awards, and more than a dozen duPont-Columbia awards over the span of 36 seasons.

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“King Coal, through the personal memories of a 4th generation coal miner’s daughter, meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created,” notes a description of the documentary. “Filmed in Central Appalachia, where McMillion Sheldon was raised and lives, the film documents the cultural roots of coal and its waning impact over a sector of American life, while also making space for a dream of the future to emerge.”

King Coal is featured on the most recent episode of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast, with co-host John Ridley declaring Sheldon’s film “phenomenal.” The documentary is produced by Sheldon, Oscar winners Shane Boris and Diane Becker (Navalny), and Peabody and duPont-Columbia Award winner Peggy Drexler (My Name Is Pauli Murray).

Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon attends the 2023 Sundance Film Festival "King Coal" Premiere at Egyptian Theatre on January 23, 2023 in Park City, Utah. — Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon

“Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s King Coal is a personal story of resilience and courage set in an often misunderstood part of America,” said Erika Dilday, executive director, American Documentary and executive producer POV & America ReFramed. “As we enter a presidential election year, coal and its impact on climate change will be among the issues discussed on the campaigns. King Coal takes viewers into Central Appalachia where communities depend on the coal industry for survival and reveals people caught in the web of transition. These are the types of stories American Documentary likes to support and this film is a terrific addition to our catalog.”

In a statement, Sheldon said, “We’re so honored to be working with POV who value the voices of independent filmmakers and innovations within the field of nonfiction. King Coal’s cinematic mode — blending observations and dreams — is based on my belief that imagined narratives are just as vital as the ones we can touch. They are, in fact, a deeply human way we create meaning.”

The King Coal acquisition deal was negotiated by Chris White and Erika Dilday for American Documentary | POV and Cinetic Media.

King Coal is a co-production of Drexler Films, Cottage M, Fishbowl Films, and Requisite Media. Production Support Provided By The Peggy and Millard Drexler Family Foundation. Elaine McMillion Sheldon is the director, producer, writer, and co-editor. Shane Boris, Diane Becker, and Peggy Drexler are the producers. The executive producers are Katherine Drexler, Heather A. Baldry, and Erika Dilday and Chris White for American Documentary | POV. The cinematographer is Curren Sheldon and the editor is Iva Radivojević. Shane Boris, Logan Hill, Iva Radivojević, and Heather Hannah are the contributing writers. Original music is by Bobak Lotfipour.

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