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<P align=left><FONT color=#0000ff>www.pdaohio.org <A href="http://www.coalcountrythemovie.com">www.coalcountrythemovie.com</A> </FONT><A href="http://www.ohiosierracluborgportagetrail"><FONT color=#0000ff>www.ohiosierracluborgportagetrail</FONT></A> </DIV></U>
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<P align=left>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE </DIV>
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<P align=center>OHIO PREMIERE OF </FONT><I><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=3>COAL COUNTRY </I></FONT><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=3>SEPTEMBER 12</FONT><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=1>TH </FONT><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=3>IN AKRON </DIV></FONT><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=2>
<P align=center>Documentary Will be Shown in Executive Producer’s Hometown at </DIV>
<P align=center>Historic Akron Civic Theater </DIV>
<P align=center><FONT color=#ff0000>Free Film Screening</FONT></DIV></B></FONT><FONT size=2>
<P align=left>Akron, Ohio – The much anticipated documentary </FONT><I><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=2>Coal Country </I></FONT><FONT size=2>will premiere in Ohio on September 12</FONT><FONT size=1>th</FONT><FONT size=2>, 8 p.m. This groundbreaking film reveals the devastating long term health and environmental risks of the questionable form of coal mining--mountain top removal--on the peoples and region of Appalachia, while simultaneously presenting the struggles of both the miners’ who carve out a livelihood because of it and the residents who seek to stop it. </FONT><I><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=2>Coal Country</I></FONT><FONT size=2>, a finalist in the prestigious Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival is one of three films in the "Best Conservation Program" category, will no doubt inform Americans of the extreme nature of this quest for cheap energy and the consequences it has for one of our nation’s poorest regions. </FONT></DIV>
<P align=left><FONT size=2> </DIV></FONT><B><I><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=2>
<P align=left>Progressive Democrats of America – Ohio </B></I></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2>has cosponsored this event with </FONT><B><I><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=2>Portage Trail Sierra Club </B></I></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2>to bring this remarkable film to northeast Ohio in celebration of the work of Akron filmmaker Mari-Lynn Evans. Many residents in the Akron area have strong ties to Appalachia, stemming back to the 1920’s when thousands of people from West Virginia came to the city to work in the factories of what was once the Rubber Capital of the World. Evans, who was born in West Virginia, was overwhelmed by the over 1300 hundred who thronged to the film’s national premiere on July 11</FONT><FONT size=1>th </FONT><FONT size=2>in Charleston, WV. The theater hosted a standing-room-only crowd and hundreds were turned away due to lack of seating. The Ohio premiere will be held in the historic Akron Civic
Theater, a considerably larger venue so that more people will be able to experience </FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=2>Coal Country. </FONT></I></DIV>
<P align=left><I><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=2> </DIV></I></FONT><FONT size=2>
<P align=left>Special honored guests include </FONT><I><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=2>Coal Country’s </I></FONT><FONT size=2>Executive Producer <FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG>Mari-Lynn Evans</STRONG></FONT> of Akron and <FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG>Elisa Young</STRONG></FONT> of Meigs County, Ohio, who is featured in the film. <FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG>Actress Darryl Hannah and Country/Folk singer Kathy Mattea</STRONG> <FONT color=#000000>have been invited. A <FONT color=#000000>private reception</FONT> for special guests and sponsors will be held prior to the screening and a public after party with live music will follow. Information about sponsorship</FONT><FONT color=#000000> is available at </FONT></FONT></FONT><U><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=2><FONT color=#000000><A href="mailto:pdaohio@gmail.com">pdaohio@gmail.com</A></FONT></U></FONT><FONT size=2><FONT color=#000000>. </FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=2>Coal Country </I></FONT><FONT
size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman">is <STRONG>free</STRONG> to the general public; all are welcome to attend. <FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG>Doors open at 7:30 p.m.</STRONG></FONT> Donations to continue efforts to educate the public about this fight will be accepted at the door. </FONT></DIV>
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<P align=left>Four years in the making, the </FONT><I><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=2>Coal Country’s </I></FONT><FONT size=2>million dollar budget was funded by donors including the Adam Lewis Foundation, Sierra Club, Sarah DuPont and the Park Foundation, Earth Justice and others. </FONT></DIV>
<P align=center><FONT size=2>For movie info and trailer: <A href="http://www.coalcountrythemovie.com/">www.coalcountrythemovie.com</A> </FONT><FONT size=2> <A href="http://www.sierraclub.org/scp/coalcountry.aspx">http://www.sierraclub.org/scp/coalcountry.aspx</A>. </FONT></DIV>
<P align=left><FONT size=2>Executive Producer Mari-Lynn Evans past work includes the PBS 3-part series </FONT></DIV>
<P align=left><I><FONT face=Arial,Arial size=2>The Appalachians. </FONT></I><FONT size=2>If you would like to schedule an interview with Evans, </FONT></DIV>
<P align=left><FONT size=2>please contact Mary Nichols-Rhodes at pdaohio@gmail.com or 330-957-6167. </FONT></DIV>
<P align=left><FONT size=2>PDA Ohio: www.pdaohio.org. Progressive Democrats of America: </DIV></FONT></td></tr></table><br>