We are thrilled to announce that film distributor Abramorama has acquired the North American theatrical rights to American Agitators. Please see this article about the film.
As Abramorama president, Karol Martesko-Fenster, says in their press release, “American Agitators is a powerful reminder that the fight for justice and equity is never finished. It is passed from one generation to the next. Raymond Telles has crafted a deeply resonant film that connects the visionary organizing of Fred Ross Sr. to the urgent movements of today. We are proud to bring this story to North American audiences.” American Agitators will open at The Quad theater in New York City on May 1 and will run for the entire week and then rollout across the US and Canada to follow. Please join us in NYC and invite your family and friends
Tickets avaliable April 27 on our website.
For upcoming screenings and tickets in your city, click here: Join us!
(If your city is not listed, check back soon. We continue to add more screenings.)Check out and share the official trailer to American Agitators HERE.
As we say in the opening of the film:Effective agitators advance society by protecting values rooted in dignity, equality and justice. They build power by joining together to make change. Successful movements have never been about one person. A movement is shaped by courage, sacrifice and the leadership of thousands who have come together to demand a more just and equitable future.As we enter this new phase of the our impact campaign, which will enable to reach thousands of more viewers, your continued support and guidance is greatly appreciated. A donation to our efforts will most assuredly make a difference in all of our efforts to make this world more just and equitable.
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Abramorama Acquires ‘American Agitators,’ Documentary On Fred Ross Sr. Who Mentored Dolores Huerta And Fought For More Just America
By Matthew Carey, Documentary Editor, Awards
Fred Ross Sr. and Dolores Huerta in ‘American Agitators’
EXCLUSIVE: Abramorama has acquired North American theatrical distribution rights to American Agitators, a documentary exploring the life and legacy of community organizer Fred Ross Sr., who mentored some of the most impactful activists in American history.Abramorama will open the film, directed by Raymond Telles, at The QUAD Cinema In New York City on May 1, followed by a rollout across the U.S. and Canada. The documentary is narrated by playwright and filmmaker Luis Valdez (himself the focus of the new documentary American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez) and features commentary from an incredible 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, also appears in the film.
“American Agitators shows how pioneering organizer Fred Ross Sr. spent decades mobilizing communities to challenge segregation, fight for voting rights, and empower labor movements,” notes a release. “The film also follows organizers today who continue Ross’s work, tackling issues such as fair wages, workers’ rights, and systemic inequality.”
“American Agitators is a powerful reminder that the fight for justice and equity is never finished,” said Karol Martesko-Fenster, CEO/President of Abramorama. “It is passed from one generation to the next. Raymond Telles has crafted a deeply resonant film that connects the visionary organizing of Fred Ross Sr. to the urgent movements of today. We are proud to bring this story to North American audiences.”
Among Telles’s credits is the 2015 documentary Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey, co-directed by Yvan Iturriaga, which aired as part of the PBS series American Masters.
Yemeni labor organizer Sharif (left) and Fred Ross Sr., circa 1975, CATHY MURPHY/GETTY IMAGES
“Fred Ross Sr. spent his life proving that ordinary people, when organized, can change the world,” Telles observed in a statement. “Making this film was a profound reminder that the work he started — fighting segregation, expanding voting rights, empowering workers — is still being carried on today, in Atlanta, in Oakland, and in communities across the country. I hope audiences leave the theater ready to be agitators themselves.”
Fred Ross Jr. (left) in “American Agitators.”
Among those Ross Sr. helped train were César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, who went on to found the United Farm Workers in 1962. (The reputation of Chávez, who died in 1993, recently imploded after the New York Times published an investigation that accused him of sexual abusing girls and sexual assault of women. Huerta just came forward to say Chávez raped her in 1966 and forced her to have sex on other occasions. The revelations do not tarnish Ross’s unparalleled work advocating for the downtrodden, disadvantaged, and overlooked in American society.).
“The film also highlights how Ross’s principles of grassroots organizing continue to shape labor movements today,” the release adds. “In Atlanta, Georgia, ‘Fight for $15’ organizers advocate for higher wages and unionization across the Southern states. In Oakland, California, in 2023, teachers, families, and community members joined forces to secure a fair contract with the Oakland School District, guided by the organizing and voter engagement strategies pioneered by Fred Ross Sr. and advanced by his son, Fred Ross Jr.”
Abramorama and The Fred Ross Project present American Agitators. The film is directed and produced by Raymond Telles (The Fight in the Fields) and produced by Olivia Heffernan David Telles. John Heffernan and Margo Feinberg serve as executive producers. Cinematography is by Vicente Franco and Daniel Telles; Angela Reginato edited the film. Mark Adler composed the score; Kenn Rabin serves as archival producer.
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
HRE USA 