David Turnley: Best New Filmmaker, Documentary of the Year

At their annual awards ceremony in LA last week, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles named David Turnley the Best New Filmmaker of the Year 2013, and his film Shenandoah was named the Best Feature Documentary of the Year.

An epic feature documentary film about a coal mining town with a proud immigrant heritage, once pivotal in fueling America’s industrial revolution and today in decline and struggling to survive and retain its identity, soul and values — all of which were dramatically challenged when four of the town’s white, star football players were charged in the beating death of an undocumented Mexican immigrant named Luis Ramirez. Shenandoah creates a deeply felt portrait of a working class community, and the American Dream on trial.