A cinematic meditation on the cultural legacy and future of the Appalachian coalfields, King Coal weaves together documentary and magical realism elements to reflect on the region’s complex relationship with coal. Premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, the film was named a New York Times Critics’ Pick and hailed as one of the year’s best documentaries by Esquire and Marie Claire. The film went on to screen at over 40 festivals worldwide, and completed a 50-screen independent theatrical run, bringing its powerful story to major cities and coal-mining communities alike. With lyrical imagery and intimate narration, King Coal serves as both a eulogy and a vision for what’s possible beyond the coal economy.

This Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning short documentary follows three women—a fire chief, a judge, and a street missionary—working to combat the opioid crisis in Huntington, West Virginia. Directed by Elaine McMillion Sheldon and produced by Curren Sheldon, Heroin(e) premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and went on to screen at festivals across the globe. Beyond its critical acclaim, the film sparked a national conversation, screening hundreds of times across the country as part of a grassroots impact campaign aimed at addressing addiction and recovery in local communities.

A Netflix Original Documentary, Recovery Boys tells the story of four men rebuilding their lives after addiction in the Appalachian mountains. Through quiet, observational filmmaking, the film captures their journey toward recovery and the challenges they face in seeking purpose, connection, and forgiveness. Premiering at the 2018 Hot Docs Film Festival, Recovery Boys has been screened in more than 300 communities—inside prisons, rehabs, schools, and beyond—serving as a tool for advocacy and healing in the ongoing fight against the opioid epidemic.

Directed by Curren Sheldon, Country Brawlers is a raw and intimate look into the lives of professional boxers in Appalachia and the coaches who give them a fighting chance in an unforgiving region.

The film centers on three compelling subjects: Corky Salyer, the larger-than-life owner of Fitness World in Raceland, Kentucky, who pushes his boxers to excel in every area of their lives; Melvin “The Romantic Redneck” Russell, a roofer in recovery desperate to lift his family out of poverty; and Travis Hanshaw, a fourth-generation boxer who works at the local prison, an economic driver in much of Appalachia.

Country Brawlers balances these deeply personal stories with tense, visceral boxing scenes that capture the brutal toll the sport takes on their bodies, offering a nuanced portrait of resilience and ambition in a region often defined by struggle.

At 39 years old, West Virginia native J-Bob “Hollywood” Parsons is still chasing his big break. An ex-boxer with a scattered record, J-Bob lives in Florida, where he pretends to be a successful businessman. In reality, he’s drowning in debt and stuck in a multi-level marketing program. When a regional salesman offers him the chance to skip two levels in the program, J-Bob leaps at the opportunity—but only if he can come up with $4,500.

With nowhere else to turn, J-Bob returns home to West Virginia to ask his mother, a two-time boxing world champion, for a loan. When she refuses, he decides to enter a local amateur boxing competition, Toughman, to win the money he needs.

Beat Down is a raucous hybrid narrative film directed by Curren Sheldon that blends fictionalized characters, real boxers, and a live event to offer a glimpse into the wild and unpredictable world of Appalachian boxing. With its mix of humor, grit, and heart, the film captures the intensity of the ring while reflecting the region’s unrelenting spirit.

For decades, the Navy base known as Sugar Grove Station provided jobs and a sense of stability for the residents of Sugar Grove, West Virginia. Now, it’s being auctioned off to the highest bidder. As their mainstay fades away, members of the community consider the "Upper Base” of the former Navy post, where an NSA listening post remains operational—and sealed off from the rest of the town.