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

deadline.com:

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. “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). “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