Appalachian Media Institute

12/02/2025

11/28/2025

"It's the way we were raised and what reminds us most of home that makes a recipe important." - Brandon Fleming, "Heritage on a Plate," 2024.

You can watch the full film on the Appalshop YouTube page here: https://loom.ly/QfKSIKk

🎥: Appalachian Media Institute, “Heritage on a Plate,” Colby Amburgey, Wolfgang Gunnar Miles, Tucker Mason, 2024.

11/27/2025

Traditional Appalachian cooking is deeply embedded in the cultural fabric of the our region, playing a crucial role in community identity and heritage. One of our newest AMI productions, "Heritage on a Plate," showcases local farmers, chefs, and gardeners as they walk us through the process of growing, cooking, and serving Appalachia’s most iconic meals and the importance they serve in our communities.

We hope everyone is spending time with loved ones today and indulging in the foods of their heritages. You can watch the full film on the Appalshop YouTube page here: https://loom.ly/QfKSIKk

🎥: Appalachian Media Institute, “Heritage on a Plate,” Colby Amburgey, Wolfgang Gunnar Miles, Tucker Mason, 2024.

11/24/2025

Thankful season is upon us again and AMI is sending lots of appreciation and love to our supporters and friends! We hope your week is full of good company, good memories, and good food! 💛🍂

11/14/2025

"People really don’t realize what Vietnam veterans done. And went through. And saw. And we was everyone kids. Every one of us." - William Chandler, "A Hero's Welcome," 2000.

Watch the full film on the Appalshop YouTube page: https://loom.ly/W6FB4FU

🎥: Appalachian Media Institute, “A Hero's Welcome,” Thomasha Adams, Justin Chandler, Travis Couch, Elizabeth Shepherd, 2000.

11/13/2025

The 2000 AMI film "A Hero's Welcome" chronicles the experiences of men from eastern Kentucky who fought in Vietnam and returned home to face emotional and societal hardship. It explores their feelings of abandonment by both the government and fellow Americans, as well as the healing power of gathering with other veterans to find pride in themselves and their service.

Watch the full film on the Appalshop YouTube page here: https://loom.ly/OpB5CoM

🎥: Appalachian Media Institute, “A Hero's Welcome,” Thomasha Adams, Justin Chandler, Travis Couch, Elizabeth Shepherd, 2000.

11/11/2025

On Veteran's Day, we're revisiting "Back Home," a documentary focused on the lives of local soldiers and their families, produced during our Summer Documentary Institute program.

If you'd like to view the full film, visit our YouTube channel: https://loom.ly/tiJlbck

📸 Appalshop, “Back Home,” Jake Sexton, AJ Hamilton, Robert Mullins, Tyler Short, 2008, Appalshop Archive preserved

11/07/2025

"If I were to get bit and die from a serpent, it’s still right. It don’t change the Bible none. It don’t change the Bible nary a bit." -Verlin Short, "Those Who Believe," 1996.

You can watch the full film on the Appalshop YouTube page here: https://loom.ly/U7DvwQo

🎥: Appalachian Media Institute, "Those Who Believe," Ethan Martin, Derek Mullins, Leslie Shocky, 1996.

11/06/2025

For some Pentecostal Holiness churches, it is a sign of true faith and calling to be able to handle poisonous snakes. Through interviews with snake handlers in eastern Kentucky, the 1996 AMI film "Those Who Believe" explores their steadfast belief that they are answering the call of God, also addressing outsider’s perceptions of this practice and the church members’ response to criticism.

You can watch the full film on the Appalshop YouTube page here: https://loom.ly/U7DvwQo

🎥: Appalachian Media Institute, "Those Who Believe," Ethan Martin, Derek Mullins, Leslie Shocky, 1996.

11/01/2025

This weekend, millions across the world will celebrate el Día de los Mu***os, the Day of the Dead, paying respects to lost loved ones and honoring the dead.

Explore unique Appalachian traditions around death with our youth-produced film "A Dying Tradition."

Watch here: https://loom.ly/Y83TbqI

10/31/2025

"Every book, every story, every life must end... I don't think you could have a life without an end." - Cleve Collins, "A Dying Tradition," 1994.

You can watch the full film on the Appalshop YouTube page here: https://loom.ly/Y83TbqI

🎥: Appalachian Media Institute, “A Dying Tradition,” Emmitt Hamilton, Shannon Collins & Sharon Saylor, 1994.

10/31/2025

Halloween is a spooky time. Thankfully your birth control doesn’t have to be!

From our friends at All Access EKY, here's a look back on contraceptives that once included wool, weasel testicles, and animal guts.

📸 Appalachian Media Institute