Producer and director Ken Burns will premier his upcoming PBS documentary series, “The Dust Bowl,” in May at Mountainfilm in Telluride. The production is due for television release in the fall of 2012, but Mountainfilm will offer an early showing of the series during its 34th annual festival.

“The Dust Bowl” examines the decade-long, human-made ecological disaster that began in 1930 and nearly ruined the breadbasket of the nation. Intensive agricultural cultivation had displaced the natural grasses and rich topsoil of the southern plains and, coupled with severe drought, produced enormous dust storms that blackened the air and eventually forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee from the region.

The project, narrated by author, actor and musician Peter Coyote, relies on Depression-era footage and first-person interviews with those who lived through the crisis that destroyed millions of acres of once-fertile lands. Mountainfilm will screen both of the two-hour films in the series.

Burns is known for historical documentaries such as “The Civil War” (1990), “Baseball” (1994), “Jazz” (2001) and “The War” (2007). He last attended Mountainfilm in 2009 with “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” His description of the festival – “both dazzling to the eye and richly layered with ideas. It reminds us of the force of filmmaking, about things that matter, worlds worth exploring, and conversations worth sustaining” – was adopted as part of its mission statement.

“Ken is, without a doubt, America’s leading documentary filmmaker,” said David Holbrooke, Mountainfilm’s festival director.

“His work is so often aimed at educating and inspiring audiences that it’s a natural fit for us. What really sets Ken apart, though, is his chemistry with audiences. He is so brilliant and articulate and so genuinely intrigued by the opinions and questions of the audience that having him in the house is an unrivalled and electric experience. We’re thrilled to welcome him back.”

The festival will be held May 25-28 in Telluride. Tickets and more information is available at www.mountainfilm.org.