WHO: Director and Producer Catherine Pancake joins coalfield activist Julia Bonds for a film screening of “Black Diamonds: Mountaintop Removal & The Fight For Coalfield Justice” and a post-film discussion about mountaintop removal.

WHAT: Baltimore’s theatrical premiere of “Black Diamonds: Mountaintop Removal & The Fight for Coalfield Justice.” With special appearance by coalfield activist Julia Bonds.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 30th, 8:00pm, Tickets, $10

WHERE: The Rotunda Cinematheque
711 W.40th Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21211
Theatre (410) 235-4800
Office (410) 235-7595

CONTACT: Catherine Pancake, Filmmaker, blackdiamondsinfo@gmail.com, www.blackdiamondsmovie.com

“A riveting and ultimately energizing documentary…” – Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post

ABOUT BLACK DIAMONDS: “Black Diamonds” is the first of its kind to offer a wholly comprehensive survey of surface mining and mountaintop removal practices (removing the tops of mountains to expose coal seams) in West Virginia. It is a riveting portrait of radical community resistance — an American region fighting for its life—caught between the grinding wheels of the national appetite for cheap energy and an enduring sense of Appalachian culture, pride, and natural beauty. www.blackdiamondsmovie.com. The film is currently distributed by Bullfrog Films. For more information go to http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/bd.html.

ABOUT JULIA BONDS: Born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, Julia “Judy” Bonds is a coal miner's daughter and the director of Coal River Mountain Watch. Bonds is a tireless champion for communities that are devastated by mountaintop removal. As such she has spoken at numerous rallies, protests, conferences, and screenings including a recent news event at the United Nations where she joined a group of activists to urge the UN Commission on Sustainable Development to end mountaintop removal. Interviews with Bonds have appeared in Vanity Fair, O Magazine, The Sundance Channel, and many other media outlets.

ABOUT CATHERINE PANCAKE: Filmmaker Catherine Pancake was born in West Virginia and currently resides in Baltimore, MD. Her work has been shown at The Baltimore Museum of Art, Philadelphia International Film Festival, Contemporary Museum Baltimore, AFI Silver Theater, Silver Springs, MD, Millennium Theater, NYC, Anchorage International Film Festival, Kansas International Film Festival, and many more venues. She has received numerous awards for “Black Diamonds” including the 2006 Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media award, the 2007 Spadaro Documentary award, and the 2001 Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award.