Award-winning Filmmaker to Discuss New Doc on Coal Industry
Elaine McMillion Sheldon to shed light on 'King Coal'
by Charlotte Minnick '28
Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon will visit Dickinson to discuss her most recent film, King Coal, which explores the culture the coal industry has created in central Appalachia in relation to its residents and their ways of life. This event, “A Conversation on the Making of the Film King Coal,” will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. in the Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium (ATS), 360 W. Louther St. It will be conducted in conversation with Sherry Harper-McCombs, emerita professor of theatre & dance at Dickinson.
On the day before the discussion, Dickinson will host a screening of King Coal in Althouse Hall, room 106, 45 N. College St., at 5 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public.
King Coal takes a creative approach to environmental storytelling, using elements such as dance and poetry to depict coal as more than just a material resource. It explores both the celebration and the mourning of coal’s connection to Appalachia and addresses a period of significant change impacting both the industry and local communities. Since its premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, the film has been shown at over 40 festivals across North America and Europe. It was named a Critics’ Pick by The New York Times.
McMillion Sheldon previously released several successful documentaries, such as Heroin(e), Tutwiler and Recovery Boys. Many of the themes in her films are based in her home region of central Appalachia. In addition to her work as a filmmaker, McMillion Sheldon works to teach the next generation of storytellers, and she is an active voice in conversations about ethics and social change within the field of filmmaking.
This program is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues and co-sponsored by the Departments of Environmental Studies, Film & Media Studies and Theatre & Dance. For additional information, please visit clarkeforum.org or email clarkeforum@dickinson.edu.
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Published October 23, 2025