Abramorama Acquires Global Rights to Muhammad Ali Documentary ‘City of Ali’ and Sets North American Theatrical Release

Abramorama has acquired global distribution rights to the Muhammad Ali documentary City of Ali. Directed by Graham Shelby and produced by Award Winning Producer Jonathan McHugh (Long Live Rock…Celebrate the Chaos), City of Ali tells the story of how the death of Muhammad Ali brought the people of his Kentucky hometown – and the world – together for one unforgettable week. The film features interviews from Asaad Ali, Lonnie Ali, Rahaman Ali, Rasheda Ali, Mayor Greg Fischer, members of the Muhammad Ali Center and many more. Following a premiere event on Thursday, June 3^rd, screenings of City of Ali will take place throughout the week at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, as part of the annual Ali Festival, a weeklong community event that marks Muhammad’s passing and celebrates his legacy; the festival takes place June 3-13. City of Ali is set to have a national release Friday, June 4th as a Watch Now @ Home Cinema Release, via Abramorama.

Abramorama CEO Richard Abramowitz said, “Muhammed Ali has been a shining example of righteousness and good will for generations and we are deeply honored by the privilege of helping to bring this movie out into the world. His message of love is critical now more than ever.”

“Our film’s title really has two meanings: On the one hand, the City of Ali is Louisville, where Cassius Clay grew up and Muhammad Ali came home. The City of Ali also refers to the global community of people Ali touched and inspired in his incredible life,” said Director Graham Shelby. “This documentary tells the story of what happened when those two communities came together. It was an unforgettable moment to experience and we’re excited to share City of Ali with fans of The Champ worldwide.”

Ali’s passing on June 3, 2016, came in the context of a bitter U.S. presidential election, a proposed Muslim ban, and the global expansion of the Black Lives Matter movement. Yet on the day of Ali’s funeral procession, more than 100,000 people lined the streets of Louisville to celebrate his life, and an estimated one billion people worldwide tuned in to events including Ali’s memorial, held in the packed KFC YUM! Center as stories of the Louisville Lip’s wit, generosity, swagger and commitment to justice were retold byPresident Bill Clinton, Billy Crystal, Lonnie Ali, and many others

“Muhammad Ali belonged to the world, but he only had one hometown,” says Greg Fischer, Mayor of Louisville and the President of the US Conference of Mayors. “Immediately following the week-long celebration of his life in 2016, it was clear that the story of that unique moment needed to be told from the perspective of the city he loved – and that loved him back. Five years later, Muhammad’s example still inspires us and people around the world, as we continue The Champ’s fight against racial injustice and all forms of hatred and prejudice. That’s why it’s an honor to help present City of Ali’s story of compassion and connection to our city, our country and our world.”

City of Ali explores Ali’s lifelong relationship with his hometown through candid interviews with friends and relatives whose history with The Champ dates back to his childhood at 3302 Grand Avenue and who share stories that even the most devoted Ali fans have never heard. We get behind-the-scenes accounts of this unprecedented celebration of one man’s life from those who planned the events. We also hear the voices of a new generation inspired by Ali’s story, along with thoughtful reflections from visitors and observers such as NBC’s Craig Melvin, TV legend Dick Cavett, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, 4-time Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield, ESPN’s Hannah Storm and many others who gathered in Louisville to answer the question, “How do you say good-bye to The Greatest?”

Producer Jonathan McHugh shares, “It has been an unprecedented honor to work with a team of Ali friends, family and fans from Louisville and beyond to help craft a film that brings the story of The Champ’s final return to his hometown to life. The unity that we saw on display during the week of Muhammad’s passing is a true testament to his legacy. We can only hope that his unifying spirit can continue to be a beacon for all of humanity.”

CITY OF ALI (USA, 81 Minutes, English) ABRAMORAMA presents a SONG STEW ENTERTAINMENT in association with LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT production of City of Ali . An Abramorama Global Presentation and Nationwide Watch Now @ Home Cinema Release.

About Abramorama

Abramorama is the preeminent global theatrical distribution and rights management partner for documentary and music films and is recognized for the consistent high quality of its work on award winning features. An innovator in the focused, personalized form of film marketing, promotion, distribution and live, event and digital cinema, Abramorama provides invaluable alternatives to filmmakers while continuing to trail-blaze exciting new pathways to defined audiences.

Over the course of 20 years, Abramorama has successfully distributed and marketed hundreds of films, including Ron Howard’s Grammy Award®-winning The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years; Stanley Nelson’s Miles Davis: Birth of The Cool; Atlantic Records and Melanie Martinez’ K-12; John McDermott’s Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church; Amir Bar-Lev’s Long Strange Trip – The Untold Story of the Grateful Dead; Tabbert Fiiller’s The Public Image Is Rotten; Danny Clinch and Pearl Jam’s Let’s Play Two; Corbett Redford and Green Day’s Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk; John Scheinfeld’s Chasing Trane – The John Coltrane Documentary; Roberta Grossman and Nancy Spielberg’sWho Will Write Our History; Brett Bern’s BANG! The Bert Berns Story; Brett Morgen and National Geographic’s seminal Jane; Asif Kapadia’s Senna; Neil Young’s vast catalog of Bernard Shakey Productions; Cameron Crowe’s Pearl Jam Twenty; Sacha Gervasi’s Spirit Award-winning Anvil! The Story of Anvil; Banksy’s Academy Award® nominated & Spirit Award-winning Exit Through the Gift Shop; Laurie Anderson’s New York Times critics’ pick, Heart of a Dog; Showtime’s National Board of Review Winner Listen to Me Marlon; Academy Award®-nominee and IDA Best Documentary Winner The Look of Silence; and the episodic multi-platform series Deconstructing The Beatles.

Abramorama is a founding partner of The Seventh Art Stand program, an act of cinematic solidarity against Islamophobia, that ran in more than 50 theaters across the United States in May of 2017. Abramorama launched a conscious films imprint, Mangurama, in 2018 alongside its music-centric film fund focused on the global release of iconic music documentaries. In January of 2019 the company launched the live multicast streaming enterprise ABCinemaNOW.com with the global live introduction, interstitial programming, and Q&A from Paris, France for the 55-country release of Who Will Write Our History. In 2020 Abramorama Selects was launched providing a gateway for select films across global VOD platforms. For more information visit abramorama.com.

SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON TWITTER

About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.