1 month ago
EXCLUSIVE: Abramorama has acquired North American theatrical distribution authorities to American Agitators, a documentary exploring nan life and bequest of organization organizer Fred Ross Sr., who mentored immoderate of nan astir impactful activists successful American history.
Abramorama will unfastened nan film, directed by Raymond Telles, astatine The QUAD Cinema In New York City connected May 1, followed by a rollout crossed nan U.S. and Canada. The documentary is narrated by playwright and filmmaker Luis Valdez (himself nan attraction of nan caller documentary American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez) and features commentary from an unthinkable array of notable Americans guided and influenced by Ross, including Dolores Huerta, Nancy Pelosi, Robert F. Kennedy Sr., Satsuki Ina, Dale Minami, Eliseo Medina, Jessica Govea, Herman Gallegos, and Ed Roybal. Fred Ross Jr., who has continued his father’s organizing work, besides appears successful nan film.
“American Agitators shows really pioneering organizer Fred Ross Sr. spent decades mobilizing communities to situation segregation, conflict for voting rights, and empower labour movements,” notes a release. “The movie besides follows organizers coming who proceed Ross’s work, tackling issues specified arsenic adjacent wages, workers’ rights, and systemic inequality.”
“American Agitators is simply a powerful reminder that nan conflict for justness and equity is ne'er finished,” said Karol Martesko-Fenster, CEO/President of Abramorama. “It is passed from 1 procreation to nan next. Raymond Telles has crafted a profoundly resonant movie that connects nan visionary organizing of Fred Ross Sr. to nan urgent movements of today. We are proud to bring this communicative to North American audiences.”
Among Telles’s credits is nan 2015 documentary Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey, co-directed by Yvan Iturriaga, which aired arsenic portion of nan PBS bid American Masters.
“Fred Ross Sr. spent his life proving that mean people, erstwhile organized, tin alteration nan world,” Telles observed successful a statement. “Making this movie was a profound reminder that nan activity he started — fighting segregation, expanding voting rights, empowering workers — is still being carried connected today, successful Atlanta, successful Oakland, and successful communities crossed nan country. I dream audiences time off nan theatre fresh to beryllium agitators themselves.”
Watch nan American Agitators trailer below.
Among those Ross Sr. thief train were César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, who went connected to recovered nan United Farm Workers successful 1962. (The estimation of Chávez, who died successful 1993, precocious imploded aft nan New York Times published an investigation that accused him of intersexual abusing girls and intersexual battle of women. Huerta conscionable came guardant to opportunity Chavez raped her successful 1966 and forced her to person activity connected different occasions. The revelations do not tarnish Ross’s unparalleled activity advocating for nan downtrodden, disadvantaged, and overlooked successful American society.).
“The movie besides highlights really Ross’s principles of grassroots organizing proceed to style labour movements today,” nan merchandise adds. “In Atlanta, Georgia, ‘Fight for $15’ organizers advocator for higher wages and unionization crossed nan Southern states. In Oakland, California, successful 2023, teachers, families, and organization members joined forces to unafraid a adjacent statement pinch nan Oakland School District, guided by nan organizing and elector engagement strategies pioneered by Fred Ross Sr. and precocious by his son, Fred Ross Jr.”
Abramorama and The Fred Ross Project coming American Agitators. The movie is directed and produced by Raymond Telles (The Fight successful nan Fields) and produced by Olivia Heffernan David Telles. John Heffernan and Margo Feinberg service arsenic executive producers. Cinematography is by Vicente Franco and Daniel Telles; Angela Reginato edited nan film. Mark Adler composed nan score; Kenn Rabin serves arsenic archival producer.
