PASSENGER PIGEONS Upcoming Screenings: Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival in Birmingham, AL September 24-26 American Film Festival in Wroclaw, Poland October 20-24 Prior Screenings: Little Rock Film Festival in Little Rock, AR BAMcinemaFEST in Brooklyn, NY Indie Grits in Columbia, SC *Winner of The People's Grit Audience Award* Appalachian Film Fest in Huntington, WV *Winner of Best Feature Runner-Up* SXSW Austin, TX. (World Premiere) *Winner of SXSW's Chicken and Egg "We Believe in You" Award*

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Passenger Pigeons is the debut feature film of Martha Stephens, a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking. Set among the coalfields of Eastern Kentucky,  it s a story about finding hope and beauty in the dark hills of Appalachia. The film quietly interweaves through four separate story lines over the course of a weekend, as the town copes with the death of a local miner.

When his brother dies in a mining accident, Moses drives cross country in his beat up Dodge Dart to bury him. He spends his weekend aimlessly wandering around the town he tried to forget, while reconnecting with his Sister-in-law and young nephew.

Buck and Nolan, two suits from the coal company, arrive in town to oversee the mine inspections. On the eve of his retirement, Buck trains his replacement, Nolan, on the ins and the outs of the coal business. After a mix up with the motel reservations, the odd couple find themselves out of their element, camping in the woods.

With the mines shut down and the effects looming over, two young lovers, Elva and Jesse, go on a "vacation" a few counties away. Trying to forget the endless tragedy that comes with working in the mines, Jesse seeks escapism while Elva can only think of the dangerous possibilities if Jesse returns to work.

When a mountain top removal protest gets canceled, a young activist from Washington D.C. takes it upon herself to spread the message around town. Finding her attempts to explain the dangers of surface mining to be a lost cause, Robin is surprised when a retired miner takes an interest in what she has to say.

Themes such as mountaintop removal, pride, fatalism, and wariness of the outside coming in are delicately used to show the fight and courage in the hearts of the characters.

THE FILMMAKERS
Martha Stephens - Writer/Director
Joe Chang - Producer/Editor
Greg Hudgins - Cinematographer
Alex Sablow - Crew

THE CAST
Bryan Marshall - Moses
Karrie Crouse - Annie
Will Casse - Benny
Kentucker Audley - Jesse
Caroline White - Elva
Martha Stephens - Robin
Jim Johnstone - Valentine
Earl Lynn Nelson - Buck
Brendan McFadden - Nolan