ABRAMORAMA ACQUIRES NORTH AMERICAN THEATRICAL RIGHTS TO AMERICAN AGITATORS

Opening At The QUAD Cinema In New York City On May 1 With A Rollout Across The USA and Canada To Follow

LOS ANGELES, CA, BERKELEY, CA, NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, April 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Abramorama has acquired North American theatrical distribution rights to the documentary American Agitators, directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker Raymond Telles (The Fight in the Fields), with executive producers John Heffernan and Margo Feinberg. Highlighting historic movements led or inspired by labor organizer Fred Ross Sr., the film tells a story of how collective action can combat racism, bigotry, and injustice and help move our nation toward a true democracy.

“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.”

Narrated by playwright and filmmaker Luis Valdez (La Bamba), the film features Fred Ross Jr., who carried on his father’s enduring legacy of grassroots activism, alongside civil rights leaders and organizers including Dolores Huerta, Nancy Pelosi, Robert F. Kennedy Sr., Satsuki Ina, Dale Minami, Eliseo Medina, Jessica Govea, Herman Gallegos, and Ed Roybal, as well as labor and grassroots organizers and advocates including Belen Reyes, Kampala Taiz Rancifer, Mario Yedidia, Gustavo Aguirre Jr., Cesar Aguirre, Francisco Gonzalez, Anabel Marquez, Keshia Brown, Tara Thompson, and Taiwanna Denise Milligan. The original score is composed by Mark Adler (Food, Inc.). Archival Producer Kenn Rabin previously worked on Milk, Selma, and The Fog of War, and Director of Photography Vicente Franco earned an Academy Award nomination for Daughter from Da Nang.

American Agitators shows how pioneering organizer Fred Ross Sr. spent decades mobilizing communities to challenge segregation, fight for voting rights, and empower labor movements. The film also follows organizers today who continue Ross’s work, tackling issues such as fair wages, workers’ rights, and systemic inequality.

“Fred Ross Sr. spent his life proving that ordinary people, when organized, can change the world,” said director Raymond Telles. “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.”

Check out and share the official trailer to American Agitators HERE.

Born in 1910 and raised in Los Angeles, Ross developed an influential grassroots organizing model that helped shape major civil rights and labor campaigns in the United States. Over the course of his career, he mentored generations of organizers, including Dolores Huerta, a key figure who helped build the United Farm Workers of America. His early organizing efforts also helped lay the groundwork for the landmark desegregation case Mendez v. Westminster, which preceded the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.

The film also highlights how Ross’s principles of grassroots organizing continue to shape labor movements today. 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.

AB2 Media Group’s theatrical division, ABRAMORAMA, has continued its streak of successful releases, led by The Last Class, the #5 highest-grossing documentary of 2025, and Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It, which opened at Film Forum in February with the #1 per-screen average of the weekend. It was held over multiple weeks due to popular demand and went on to sell out screenings nationwide. The company recently partnered with Sobey Road Entertainment, National Geographic and Disney+ on Werner Herzog’s Ghost Elephants, which launched with a coast-to-coast theatrical screening event and live Q&A simulcast to more than 115 theaters before streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. Other notable releases include 2DIE4, the company’s first IMAX exclusive feature, as well as Benjamin Flaherty’s Shuffle and Alexis Lloyd's Group – both New York Times Critics’ Picks – and Steve Schapiro: Being Everywhere, the documentary on the legendary photojournalist executive produced by Michael Rosenberg, Sid Ganis, and Rob Friedman.

AMERICAN AGITATORS (USA, 95 Minutes, English, Spanish) Abramorama and The Fred Ross Project present American Agitators. Narrated by Luis Valdez. Executive Producers John Heffernan Margo Feinberg. Producers Olivia Heffernan David Telles. Archival Producer Kenn Rabin (a.p.a.). Cinematography by Vicente Franco and Daniel Telles. Composer Mark Adler. Edited by Angela Reginato. Produced and Directed by Raymond Telles. An Abramorama North American Theatrical Release. For more information, visit www.americanagitators.com.

Imani Charles
Falco Ink.
ImaniCharles@Falcoink.com

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.