Sundance Institute

Institute History

2011 Sundance Film Festival

Description

It’s easy to forget that each time we turn on a light, we are contributing to the ecological damage caused by the coal that generates electricity in this country. The Last Mountain gives us plenty of reasons to remember. Contaminated air, soil, and water; coal dust, cancer clusters, and toxic sludge are all by-products of this widespread energy source.
Focusing on the devastating effects of mountaintop coal removal in West Virginia’s Coal River Valley, filmmaker Bill Haney illustrates the way residents and activists are standing up to the industry and major employer that is so deeply embedded in the region. With strong support from Bobby Kennedy Jr. and grassroots organizations, awareness is rising in the battle over Appalachian mountaintop mining. Forces are aligning to prevent coal removal on Coal River Mountain and preserve the region’s precious natural resources. Superb storytelling and exquisite photography combine to remind us that this environmental calamity impacts us all.

(Archives note: see also Bill Haney's Meet The Artist interview on our YouTube Channel.)

— Lisa Viola

Screening Details

Section: U.S. Documentary Competition
Film Type: U.S. Documentary Feature Films
Country: U.S.A.
Run Time: 95 min.

Credits

Producer
Executive Producer
- Tim Disney
- Tim Rockwood
Director
- Bill Haney
Screenwriter
- Bill Haney
- Peter Rhodes
Cinematographer
Coproducer
- Laura Longsworth
Composer
- Claudio Ragazzi
Editor
- Peter Rhodes

As you use our Online Archives, please understand that the information presented from Festivals, Labs, and other activities is taken directly from official publications from each year. While this information is limited and doesn't necessarily represent the full list of participants (e.g. actors and crew), it is the list given to us by the main film/play/project contact at the time, based on the space restrictions of our publications. Each entry in the Online Archives is meant as a historical record of a particular film, play, or project at the time of its involvement with Sundance Institute. For this reason, we can only amend an entry if a name is misspelled, or if the entry does not correctly reflect the original publication. If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected]