WHERE: The historic Sebastiani Theatre – downtown Sonoma Plaza, Sonoma Valley
DATE: February 15, 2026
TIME: 5:00 p.m. – doors open at 4:15. (Film run-time 76 minutes)
TICKET LINK: Documentary Screening – “Running for the Mountains” | Press Democrat News Group
This exceptional award-winning documentary is a political story of dark money, environmental devastation and brave people determined to protect the place they love. Running for the Mountains tells a cautionary tale for the entire nation, as bad policies, dirty politics and reckless deregulation in West Virginia have impacted our shared environmental future.
“We felt that this was a very important film to be shown in our community at this point in time”, said Lisa Storment, President of Wake UP Sonoma. “This documentary is powerful, and points to the very thing we are struggling with as a nation, oligarchy control of our country and ultimately our environmental resources for personal gain. What is happening in the Appalachian mountains is a cautionary tale for staying alert and active to what could be or is going on in our own communities.”
In 2008, filmmakers Babette Hogan and Julie Eisenberg began following West Virginia native son and electoral activist Jesse Johnson who ran for WV Governor, to spotlight the environmental costs of mountaintop removal mining. MTR has destroyed over 500 mountains in Appalachia and poisoned thousands of miles of streams. In his wake, they discovered a deep story of good people and dark money, devastation and defiance, history and hope. More than a decade later, with America divided, the climate in crisis, and the fossil fuel industry earning record profits, the story of Appalachia offers a dire warning for the nation—and a way forward.
From 2008-2024, the filmmakers documented the rise of then Governor Joe Manchin and other pro-extraction WV politicians, detailing financial conflicts of interest and cozy relationships with local media, law enforcement, and energy companies. Under their control, West Virginia was, and remains, a fossil fuel fiefdom. This political film with an environmental backdrop shows how the West Virginia ‘playbook’ impacts the rest of the country.
Running for the Mountains is also about the real people who live, quite literally, on the front lines of environmental devastation: farmers, miners, families and retirees – some residing mere feet from what one landowner terms “Hell’s Gate”, including poisoned water, toxic flames, and vast pits. We witness the destruction of their lives, livelihoods, dreams, and health. We come to admire these folks for their determination to make the political system work for ordinary citizens. They struggle to change Appalachia’s trajectory and her story of so-called patriotic sacrifice.
Here we arrive at the thematic heart of the film. When the people believe in a narrative of self-sacrifice, who profits, who loses, and what are the real stakes? Changing the narrative is the path to redemption for the people and places we encounter in Running for the Mountains. Changing the narrative is the means for re-taking electoral control, legislative control, regulatory control, and the right to health and happiness. Appalachia is the proverbial canary in a coal mine; pay attention or pay the price.
Panel Members that will participate in the Q&A after the film, will provide the audience rare and profound insight into how the movie was made, and what we can do moving forward in these times in a positive direction, and how does this bring us to local concerns and solutions and what guidance do our local decision makers have to give.
Producers/Directors:
Babette Hogan and Julie Eisenberg built independent careers in Film and Video, each creating award winning pieces on the environment, energy, activism, health care, housing, and labor. Together they produced “Water for Life” for “Global Mosaic” which aired on KCET (LA-PBS) and Link TV (2018), about the fight for safe water in West Virginia and in India. “Running for the Mountains” is their first feature documentary, which they began shooting in 2008, completed shooting in 2022 and finished editing in 2024.
Panel Members
Moderator – Ronny Grooms
Ronny Joe Grooms is a broadcaster, speaker, and transdisciplinary artist exploring the intersections of consciousness, communication, and community storytelling. As the Program Director at KSVY Sonoma 91.3 FM, supporting a team of volunteers, producing engaging local content, and hosts two dynamic shows that bring stories of culture, creativity, and connection to life.
Paul Corbit Brown – Cinematographer, Journalist and subject of the movie. As a journalist, he used his writing, video and photography skills to capture humanitarian stories throughout the US, Mexico, Kenya, Jamaica, Russia, Israel, Laos, Thailand, Rwanda, Indonesia, Haiti, Northern Iraq, etc. Working with the Washington Post, Time magazine, LA Times, requires coordinating with hard pressed journalists and tight deadlines. His photos have been exhibited nationally, from Seattle Washington to Washington D.C.
Janelle Kellman is a nationally recognized leader at the intersection of climate risk, economic resilience, and public safety. A former Mayor of Sausalito, CA city planning commissioner, lawyer, and small business owner, she has led on-the-ground responses to flooding, sea level rise, and extreme weather—securing millions of dollars for disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience.
Janelle began her career as an environmental attorney and has worked in private and public practice, including at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9, where she worked on tribal water quality and Endangered Species Act compliance. In 2020, she founded the Center for Sea Rise Solutions, a nonprofit advancing practical climate-risk and resilience strategies in partnership with governments, ports, and industry, including collaborations with the Port of Barcelona and the World Ocean Council. Her work also emphasizes workforce development through partnerships with community colleges.
**She is currently a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of California in the 2026 election. Janelle holds degrees from Yale University, Oxford University, and Stanford Law School.
AWARDS
Thaddeus Stevens Award for Social Engagement, Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
Best Environmental Film, Chagrin Documentary Film Festival
Spirit of the Environment Award, San Francisco Green Film Festival
Extreme Excellence in Documentary Work- Women’s International Film Festival (WPRN)
Extreme Excellence in Music – Women’s International Film Festival (WPRN)
Excellence in Editing – Women’s International Film Festival (WPRN)
Best Editing, San Francisco International Film Festival
Best Trailer, San Francisco International Film Festival
CONTACT: Lisa Storment, President, Wake UP Sonoma
[email protected]
707-346-9788
To Learn more about Wake UP Sonoma, go to their website: www.wakeupsonoma.com
**Wake UP Sonoma does not endorse any political candidates
Be First to Comment