Catherine Pancake

Who is Catherine Pancake?

Catherine Pancake is an American filmmaker and musician based in Chicago, Illinois. A native of West Virginia, she is a relative of the writers Breece D'J Pancake, Ann Pancake, and actor Sam Pancake. Following her move to Baltimore ca. 1993, she co-founded the Red Room Collective and High Zero Foundation, She also became a self-trained improvising percussionist and began making films, which ranged from short, experimental meditations to feature-length narratives and documentaries. She is a founding member of the Charm City Kitty Club and the Transmodern Festival

Since about 2001, her primary project has been a documentary about the mountaintop removal project of the coal companies in southern West Virginia and its resulting environmental and humanitarian consequences titled Black Diamonds. Black Diamonds was released by Bull Frog Films for distribution in December, 2006.