One Person Can Make A Difference. Trish Bragg faced defeat after defeat as she tried to help her community...until an ultimate victory she never expected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Trish Bragg in this youtube video (9 min.)

 

Read a bit of her character in the script:

FADE IN
EXT. SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA COAL FIELDS — ESTABLISHING - DAY
Aerial view flying across mountains and hollows. Late spring.
Hillsides white and pink with dogwoods and red buds.
Everything beautiful about southern West Virginia mountains.

TRISH (V.O.)
These are not the highest
mountains, nor the widest
mountains. But they are the most
beautiful mountains.

Tidy small communities nestle in hollows along sparkling
streams. Newly plowed gardens on flat patches.

People in Sunday best spill from churches. Gathering of
families at tables laden with food. Heads bow in grace.

Leaves glow in autumn colors. Pumpkins and squash crowd late season abundant gardens.

Sooty, hulking coal preparation plant. Pyramids of coal,
higher than building.
Coal dribbles down conveyor belts to tractor trailers. Late
afternoon sun reflects light off flat sides of coal chunks,
like light dancing off diamonds.
Miners, faces sooty, drag out of lift from deep mine. Walk
into long shadows of late afternoon.

EXT. PIE, WEST VIRGINIA - DAY
Road sign for PIE. MOUNTAIN at the end of Nighway Branch–like
an anchor. Pink rays spread behind right side of MOUNTAIN as
sun rises.

****************

INT. OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING - DAY

(excerpt)

Trish and Elaine rush over to Director before she can leave.

TRISH

I want to tell them how bad the blasting is, how dust comes down on communities every time they blast.

DIRECTOR

Excuse me. I don't speak Southern.

Trish turns away, realizes Director hopeless.

Trish starts to cry, tears roll down her cheeks. Spots seal of the Department of the Interior on the podium. Walks over, traces buffalo in center. Turns to Chairman of National Mining Association, nearby.

TRISH

Appalachians are like this buffalo. Our natural way of life is being destroyed.

Tears stream down Trish's face. Chairman stares at her.

TRISH (CONT'D)

Appalachians are labeled as clannish. They're suspicious of government. And I say, why not? We've been used and abused for a century.

Chaiman walks away. Trish shouts after him.

TRISH (CON'T)

Don't be upset. You are too far away from all this ugliness. You have your concrete jungles with air-conditioned offices and your city water. You have water.

Trish looks around. Nearly everyone gone. Stares at SEAL on PODIUM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1972, the Buffalo Creek Flood killed 125 people in the West Virginia coalfields. One who survived was 12-year-old Arley Johnson. Forever changed, he devoted his life to public service. As a state legislator, he bravely supported Trish Bragg and her friends in their quest for justice. Here is footage of the flood shot by Charleston filmmaker Robert Gates, which will be part of Moving Mountains.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Sunshine Films LLC Penny Loeb http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3755246/ www.wvcoalfield.com www.movingmountains.info Author of book on which movie is based. Wrote screenplay. Winner of numerous national journalism awards.

PRODUCER

Stacie Jones www.blackinkfilms.comhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm1894715/
Producer on nine feature films, including The Unspoken Truth, Heaven Burns, Good People, The Church
Unit Production manager Toe to Toe, premiere at 2009 Sundance Film Festival
Production manager Stags, comedy shot in New York 2008
Line producer JuJu: The Witchdoctor Chronicles, feature shot Baltimore 2008

CASTING DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

Paul Dinh-McCrillis http://pro.imdb.com/name/nm1723851/

DIRECTOR

Bill Richardson http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1378703/resume Lifelong resident of West Virginia's southern coalfields, Bill has directed and produced more than a dozen movies. Awards: Worldfest International Film Festival, Gold Award, 2008, Film: Crash Gordon
Filmmakers Film Festival, Best Feature Award, 2008, Film: Crash Gordon
Appalachian Film Festival, Sapphire Award, Feature Category, 2008, Film: Crash Gordon
Slamdance Screenplay Contest, Finalist, 2008, Title: Thrill Killers
Filmmakers Film Festival, Best Documentary Award, 2004, Film: Mine Wars
Worldfest International Film Festival , Gold Award , 1993, Film: DUI

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Michelle Farrell www.absoluteindependentpictures.com
Videographer on two dozen independent movies. Multiple award winner:
Best Biographical Documentary FirstGlance Film Festival Philadelphia
Bronze Peer Award winner International Independent Film Festival
Best Local Film Artsfest Film Festival
Heart of England International Film Festival Selection
Semi-Finalist Hollywood Spiritual Film FestivaL. “Law & Disorder” was named the 2009 Pare Lorentz International Film Festival “WINNER” for “BEST FEATURE FILM”. Beaver Dam Productions"Smalltimore" won Best Director at Indie Fest 2009 in Anaheim, California. Steel Corset Productions"The Red-Headed Menace" took top honors at both festivals which were submitted to - The Judith Rheiner Award for Independent Spirit (1st Place) in the 29 Days Later Film Festival, and Best Comedy Short at the Hampden Shorts Film Festival. Steel Corset Productions Safehouse has been picked up fro distribution. Skyrocket Productions

Michelle brings a painterly eye and dedicated passion to filmmaking.

Throughout her struggle, Trish Bragg relied on her deep Christian faith.

From the screenplay:

“The first time I saw these mountains, I felt God in their majesty.”

“After DEP stopped the mine from taking our wells, I thought I’d go back to being a housewife. But God had other plans.”

“I asked God if I was doing the right thing. Maybe I heard him wrong."

“When Kayla was little, she used to ask why God answered me. I told her because I aggravate him so much.”

 

July 23, 2009 West Virginia Film Credit Development Committee awards 31-percent transferrable tax credits.

First scene filmed early October 2009. Main filming scheduled for fall of 2010. Here's video of the shoot.

 

Audition dates coming soon.

RAVE REVIEWS FOR SCREENPLAY

BlueCat Screenplay Contest Reader: “I enjoyed this story very much.  It was written in a stark, sort of minimalist way in which I envision the people of West Virginia.  We follow Trish Bragg who is caught between the coal producers, the government, the environmentalists, lawyers, etc.  It seems like they all want something…You do an excellent job of showing the vibrant Trish slowly get worn down by her protesting, school, the town, threats, etc.  She runs the gamut but becomes a more rounded, worldly person after it all.  I like on page 72 where Trish says, 'I don't like the way they done Terry. Makes him look like a dumb hillbilly.'  To me this line summed up the script…I would say the story is excellent and your plotting is spot on.  That is, I felt that the story never sagged.  Your dialogue is curt and to the point.  Very nice. Overall, an excellent script to read.”