Director/Producer team Julie Eisenberg and Babette Hogan have just announced that their feature film, Running for the Mountains, has won the Thaddeus Stevens Prize for Social Engagement at the 10th Anniversary Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival. The filmmakers have provided more detail about the film in the press release below, which expands upon the significance of this story in West Virginia and beyond.
MIDDLEBURY, VT. August 2024 — Written and directed by Julie Eisenberg and Babette Hogan, “Running for the Mountains” uncovers a story of dirty money and dirty politics in West Virginia. From 2008-2024, the Northern Californian filmmakers visited Appalachia countless times to export the most invaluable commodity coming out of the region: the truth.
Transcending party lines, their investigation uncovered a tangled web of influence linking extraction industries with West Virginia’s politicians, as figures like Sen. Joe Manchin wield immense power to stifle competition. The documentary depicts West Virginia’s enduring saga of patriotic sacrifice, where generations of workers have borne the brunt of the nation’s energy needs. Native West Virginians share heart-wrenching stories of their family’s histories, recounting child labor, crippling injuries, black lung, and cancer inflicted by coal companies. Today, their legacy includes abandoned mines, depleted towns, toxic water, and soaring rates of opioid addiction; alongside ongoing abuses of their property rights.
Vermont and West Virginia both exhibit strong independence with a history of rural activism, yet differ significantly due to the grip polluting industries have over southern Appalachia. Vermont leads the nation by requiring oil companies to bear climate change costs. (AP News) The Climate Superfund Act serves as a model for states committed to corporate accountability. (Sidley) Protecting communities from coal, natural gas, pipelines and Big Pharma is vital, but the recent Conservative Supreme Court 6-3 decision striking Chevron versus NRDC will de-fang federal regulators and empower polluters nationally.
“Running for the Mountains” serves as a cautionary tale of environmental damage, dirty money, and rough and tumble politics, right in time for election season. This essential political documentary, recently awarded the Thaddeus Stevens Prize for Social Engagement by the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, is debuting across the country this summer/fall in a select group of film festivals. Don’t miss the New England premiere at the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival on Saturday August 24th, 2024 at 11:30 AM in the Marquis Theater. Q & A with filmmakers and cast will follow the screening. (Call for more information and screener access.)
CONTACT: BABETTE HOGAN DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
RUNNING FOR THE MOUNTAINS Tel: 415-310-2892 email: babette@polidoc.com