i am the blues press kitam...with helping to create the distinctive sound of the chicago blues...

Presents

IAMTHEBLUESAFilmbyDanielCross

“Whenthemusictakesflight,it’sathingofbeauty.Heartacheneversoundedsogood.”–

NationalPost

U.S.A,Canada/Documentary/English

116min/1.78:1/Stereo2.0and5.1SurroundSound

PressContacts: Theatrical/HomeEntertainment:MichaelKrause/FoundryCommunications|(212)586-7967|

mkrause@foundrycomm.com MusicPress:JolynMatsumuro/TheBrookesCompany|(310)558-3000x202|

jolyn@brookescompany.comGenevieveVillaflor|FilmMovement|(212)941-7744x215|genevieve@filmmovement.com

Assets: OfficialUSTrailer:TBDDownloadableImages:

http://iamthebluesmovie.com/artists/filmcredits.html

SYNOPSISIAMTHEBLUEStakestheaudienceonamusicaljourneythroughtheswampsoftheLouisianaBayou, the juke jointsof theMississippiDelta,and themoonshine-soakedBBQs in theNorthMississippi Hill Country, visiting bluesmusicians rooted in the genre's heyday,many now intheir80s,still livingintheAmericandeepsouthandtouringtheChitlin’Circuit. InadditiontoBobbyRush,whowonaGrammyAwardthisyearforBestTraditionalBluesAlbum,musiciansBarbara Lynn, Little FreddieKing, , Lazy Lester, HenryGray,Carol Fran,BilboWalker, Jimmy“Duck”Holmes,RLBoyce,LCUlmer,Lil’BuckSinegalarealsofeaturedinthedocumentary.SHORTSYNOPSISFrom juke joints to churchhalls, I AMTHEBLUES travels theback roadswith the last of theblues legends such as Grammy Award-winning artist Bobby Rush, Barbara Lynn, and LittleFreddieKing. LOGLINEIAMTHEBLUEStakestheaudienceonthemusicaljourney,visitingwiththelastoriginalbluesartists.

BobbyRush(right)

CREDITSCREWDirector DanielCrossProducer BobMoore,DanielCrossCinematography JohnPriceEditor RyanMullinsScreenplay DanielCross,MarcoLunaFEATURINGBobbyRush:83yearsold,wasawardedas“BestMaleSoulArtist”at theBluesMusicAwardandwasnominatedfortheGrammyAwardin2000and2014.In2017,hewonhisfirstGrammyAwardforhisalbum,“PorcupineMeat.” BarbaraLynn(pictured,above):75yearsold,anAmericanrhythmandbluesandelectricbluesguitarist,singer,andsongwriter.Sheisbestknownfor“You’llLoseaGoodThing”(1962).HenryGray:92 years old, an African-American blues piano player and singer. He is creditedwithhelpingtocreatethedistinctivesoundoftheChicagobluespiano.Jimmy"Duck"Holmes:70yearsold, anAmericanbluesmusicianandproprietorof theBlueFrontCaféontheMississippiBluesTrail,theoldestsurvivingjukejointinMississippi.Lil' Buck Sinegal: 73 years old, an American blues and zydeco guitarist and singer. He wasinductedintotheLouisianaBluesHallofFamein1999. Lazy Lester: 84 years old, an Americanbluesmusician who sings, plays the harmonica andguitar.Hiscareerspansthe1950stothe2010s. CarolFran:84yearsold,anAfrican-Americansoulbluessinger,pianistandsongwriter.Franisbest known for her string of single releases in the 1950s and 1960s and her later musicalassociationwithherhusband,bluesguitaristClarenceHollimon. Little Freddie King:77 years, anAmericanDelta blues guitarist. His style is based on that ofFreddieKing,buthisapproachtocountrybluesisoriginal.LC Ulmer: an American delta bluesmusician and performer for over half a century, playingatfestivalsandclubsthroughouttheUnitedStatesandelsewhere,butparticularlyintheDeepSouth.Heoftenperformedinhisyoungerdaysasaone-manband.UlmerdiedonFebruary14,2016,athishomeinEllisville,Mississippi,ofnaturalcauses,attheageof87. BudSpires:HarmonicaplayerandlongtimemusicalcompanionofblueslegendJackOwens.HealsoaccompaniedJimmy“Duck”Holmes.SpiresdiedonMarch20,2016attheageof82.

SELECTPRESSFORIAMTHEBLUES “Director Daniel cross goes deep into the Deep South blues scene with this terrificdocumentary…Oneofthemoststrikingaspectsofthefilmishowbeautifullyshotitoftenis.”–RobertWhitehead,VultureHound“Forhislatestdocumentary,IAMTHEBLUES,CanadianfilmmakerDanielCrosstravelsdowntoBayoucountryforalookatoneofthemostinfluentialstylesofmusicinhistory…Crosswiselyshowsreverencetothemusic,andinsomeofthefilm’sbestmomentsIAMTHEBLUESplayslikea concert film takingplace innaturalenvironments insteadof concerthallsandarenas...Themusic andpersonalities inI AMTHEBLUESare enthralling,making itwellworth seekingout.” –AndrewParker,TorontoFilmScene“Asthemusicianstalk,IAMTHEBLUESworksasanoralhistoryoftheirmusic,andofthestillactive Chitlin’ Circuit of performing venues, where back in the wickedness of segregation,AfricanAmericansfeltfreeofdanger….IAMTHEBLUESevokesthatsentimentinanauthenticmannerbefittingitssubject.”–MaurieAlioff,PointofViewMagazine"Joyfulandexultant…."MollyLaich,MissoulaIndependent"I was quietly blown away by Daniel Cross’s new documentary I AM THE BLUES.…There issomethingmiraculousinthispatientlittlefilm,whichlendsaneartoweatheredoldmusicians,goingabouttheirlivesinthebackwatersoftheLouisianaBayouandtheMississippiDelta….Thedirectorleavesampleroomforthemusic,anditwilltakeyourbreathaway."–T'Cha Dunlevy, MontrealGazette“Themusic and personalities in I AM THE BLUES are enthralling.” – AndrewParker,TorontoFilmScene"IAMTHEBLUESisalovelyfilm,madewithalight,respectfultouch."–MarcGlassman,PointofViewMagazine

Jimmy“Duck”Holms

BIOGRAPHY-DirectorDanielCross

Daniel Cross is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, producer, andactivistwhosefilmsdealwithsocial justice.AlongsidewithMilaAung-Thwin,adirectorandproducer,Cross isco-founderofEyeSteelFilm,aMontreal-basedCanadianCinemaProductionCompany.Hemadetwofilms entitled THE STREET: A FILMWITH THE HOMELESS and S.P.I.T.:SQUEEGEE PUNKS IN TRAFFIC where hundreds of homeless peoplefrom Montreal share their stories with him. Both films receivedtheatrical distribution, international broadcast and critical acclaim.Cross also has experience in TV, having directed and produced theGemini-nominatedTOOCOLOURFULFORTHELEAGUEandCHAIRMANGEORGE on the stations CTV, BBC’s Storyville and TV 2 (Denmark).

CHAIRMAN GEORGE won awards at the AFI/Silverdocs and atGuangzhouDocumentaryFestival.AgraduateofConcordiaUniversity,Cross is active in the film community, serving on the Boards of CFTPA, Observatoire duDocumentaireandDOC(formerlyCIFC).HealsoteachesfilmproductionatConcordiaUniversityin Montreal, Quebec, and before that he taught at University of Regina in Regina,Saskatchewan.

FILMOGRAPHY:THESTREET:AFILMWITHTHEHOMELESS(1997)S.P.I.T.-SQUEEGEEPUNKSINTRAFFIC(2001)TOOCOLOURFULFORTHELEAGUE(2001)INUUVUNGA:IAMLNUK,IAMALIVE(2004)CHAIRMANGEORGE(2005)IAMTHEBLUES(2015)SELECTEDFESTIVALS&AWARDS70thGoldenSheafAwards:BestDocumentary,BestDirector2017CanadianScreenAwards:BestDocumentaryFeatureFilmAward,2017CanadianScreenAwards:BestDocumentaryFeatureFilmCinematographyAward,2017MondesEnImages,Cucuron,France,BestFilmandPeople’sChoiceAward,201735thJeanRouchFilmFestival,theBARTÓKPrize,2016IndieMemphisFilmFestival,SouloftheSouthFilmAward,2016IndieMemphisFilmFestival,People’sChoiceAward,2016CinemaontheBayou,BestDocumentary“Catfish”Award,20162016IDFAFestival,WorldPremiere2016SXSWInt'l.FilmFestival,NorthAmericanPremiere2016HotDocsInt'l.DocumentaryFilmFestival–DonHaigAward

2017PanAfricanFilmFestival2017SalemFilmFestivalABOUTFILMMOVEMENTCelebrating its 15th year, FilmMovement is a North American distributor of award-winningindependentandforeignfilmsbasedinNewYorkCity.FilmMovementhasreleasedmorethan250 feature filmsand shorts culled fromprestigious film festivalsworldwide, and last year ithad its first Academy Award-nominated film, Naji Abu Nowar’s THEEB. Film Movement’stheatricaldistributionstrategyhasevolved to includepromisingAmerican independent films,documentaries,andanevenstrongerslateofforeignarthousetitles.Itscatalogincludestitlesby directors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Maren Ade, Jessica Hausner, Andrei Konchalovsky,Andrzej Wajda, Diane Kurys, Ciro Guerra and Melanie Laurent. In 2015, Film Movementlaunched its reissue label Film Movement Classics, featuring new restorations releasedtheatrically as well as on Blu-ray and DVD, including films by such noted directors as EricRohmer, PeterGreenaway,BilleAugust,MarleenGorris, Takeshi Kitano,ArturoRipstein, andEttoreScola.Formoreinformation,pleasevisitwww.filmmovement.com.