Ghosts of Appalachia is a feature-length documentary, a work-in-progress about the personal, cultural, and environmental impact of mountaintop removal coal mining in eastern Kentucky. Written and directed by Sally Rubin and Jen Gilomen, the film is among six projects that will share $15,000 in funding from the 2008 Banff Mountain Grants program, overseen by Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre.
”We’re thrilled to be able to support an impressive range of creative ideas and projects,” says David Cox, executive director of Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre. “We look forward to helping develop these important mountain and environmental stories and enabling them to reach their audiences.”
Banff Mountain Grants are awarded annually to projects that creatively communicate the environment, human heritage, inspiration, and adventure of the world’s mountain places to a broad public audience.
2008 Mountain Grant recipients
Sally Rubin and Jen Gilomen, Los Angeles
$5,000
The feature-length documentary Ghosts of Appalachia follows members of a community in eastern Kentucky and the effects of mountaintop removal coal mining.
Majka Burhardt, Boulder, Colorado
$2,000
Her film, Sequence, and articles are about Namibia’s Himba tribe and the mountainous landscape they inhabit, as explored by climbers and anthropologists.
Eric Knight, Kensington, California
$2,000
His state-of-the-art panorama map, Juneau Icefield Glacial Panorama, will estimate and visualize the impending retreat of coastal glaciers in southeast Alaska.
Marc Piché, Canmore, Alberta
$2,000
Alpine Canada Book Project, a collaboration by three co-authors to produce two major books about the finest alpine climbs of Canada.
Joe Riis and Emilene Ostlind, Laramie, Wyoming
$2,000
Pronghorn Passage is a travelling photographic exhibition and supportive text that promotes protection of the pronghorn of Grand Teton National Park and their 170-mile (274-kilometre) migration corridor through the mountains of western Wyoming.
Tajik Social Ecological Union, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
$2,000
The group is developing Yagnob Valley, an educational campaign to increase awareness and support for the people and environment of the Yagnob Valley.
Rules and application forms for the 2009 grants program will be available at the end of January, 2009 on The Banff Centre’s website. For more information visit the website or call 403-762-6369.
