Emmy Award for “CloudStreet: Soaring the American West”

Earlier this year, we received the information that the movie “CloudStreet: Soaring the American West” has been nominated for four Emmy categories. It is now an honour, to express congratulations to Matthew Murray and Mike Abernathy for being awarded in the photography category. Also we express our sincerest congratulations to the whole film crew, the pilots and everyone involved in this amazing project. No one could better and more emotionally tell the story behind than Mike, Matthew and his wife Carolyn themselves, which they did in an email after the award ceremony:

„We had been planning and scheming the making of CloudStreet for several years when my wife (and soon-to-be-co-producer) Carolyn Galceran said to me “Are you doing this soaring movie or what?”.  So then I whined about funding and sponsors, and I wrung my hands.  Then she said words to the effect of “What are you waiting for?!?  Just do it!”.  She is wonderfully direct and honest - and she believed in us and the project.  In that moment, it was on!

From the beginning, Matt, Carolyn, I and our ever-intrepid Executive Producer, Michael Kamins (NM Public Television), believed in the importance of telling this story.  We wanted to expand the horizons of everyone who would see CloudStreet, and we wanted to make the program so good that millions would see it and enjoy it, and be inspired by it.  We thought that if people saw the beauty of our world, from a glider in the air high above the West, that it would change them and move them.  

We were fortunate to have four truly outstanding glider pilots volunteer to help us tell the story of why glider pilots fly.  My great friend Mark Mocho spent many many hours flying formation with us, and he developed the mounts for our cameras.  Bill Hill, my soaring mentor was & is a wonderful personality and pilot.  (And everyone needs a Yoda).  Kris Ciesinski is beautiful, articulate, passionate, and literally enchanting.  Her passion passed through the camera lens, and became part of the very soul of the program, along with the late, beloved Glider Bob Saunders whose charisma and love of flight was deeply infectious.

We were again fortunate that early on Mr. Phil Umphres took an interest in the program, and helped us find support that we could not otherwise have found.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Phil.

We especially especially want to thank our sponsors at Soaring Society of America, The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, and Stemme AG - without whom this program could never have happened.

Sincere thanks to everyone who helped us and encouraged us in making this project!  You rock.

Best regards,

Mike Abernathy, Matthew Murray, and Carolyn Galceran”

Email from Mike, Matthew and Carolyn from October 10th, 2016

Click the link to see the trailer of "CloudStreet: Soaring the American West": https://goo.gl/xrqZlj