Director Ava DuVernay’s SELMA to Screen for Free for Selma, AL Citizens

Left to right: André Holland plays Andrew Young, Colman Domingo plays Ralph Abernathy, David Oyelowo plays Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Omar Dorsey plays James Orange in SELMA. (c) 2014 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved. Photo credit: Atsushi Nishijima

Paramount Pictures announced today that the Golden Globe nominated film SELMA from director Ava DuVernay will be shown for free to the town’s citizens at the Selma Walton Theater in the city of Selma, Alabama beginning January 9th.

“With deep gratitude to the people of Selma, Alabama, we are proud to share this powerful film depicting the historic events that took place there 50 years ago,” said Oprah Winfrey on behalf of the film’s producers. “I hope generations will watch the film and share their stories of remembrance and history together.”

“The city and people of Selma welcomed the production with open arms this past summer and in celebration of the film’s national release on January 9th, we are incredibly excited and very humbled to be bringing Ava’s finished film to the community,” said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures.

“I’m so happy that the movie ‘Selma’ will be shown in Selma when it’s released to the nation. I’m so grateful of the fact that Selma has been blessed to have a movie named after it. I’m thankful to the producers, director Ava, and executive producer Paul Garnes for their leadership, and all of the cast for selecting Selma to produce this movie. We must keep in mind that the movie is just that, a movie and not a documentary. May God continue to bless Selma,” said Selma Mayor George P. Evans.

Citizens of the city of Selma, AL can get more information and showtimes at http://www.selmawaltontheater.com/

Directed by DuVernay and starring David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr., SELMA has been nominated for 4 Golden Globes, including for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Song (“Glory” by Common and John Legend).

The film also stars Tom Wilkinson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Alessandro Nivola, Giovanni Ribisi, Common, Carmen Ejogo, Lorraine Toussaint, with Tim Roth and Oprah Winfrey as “Annie Lee Cooper.”

SELMA is the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition.  The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement.

Left to right, foreground: Trai Byers plays James Foreman, Stephan James plays John Lewis, Wendell Pierce plays Rev. Hosea Williams, David Oyelowo plays Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Colman Domingo plays Ralph Abernathy in SELMA, from Paramount Pictures, Pathé, and Harpo Films. (c) 2014 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved. Photo credit: Atsushi Nishijima.

Director Ava DuVernay’s SELMA tells the story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.

Currently open in select cities, SELMA opens in theaters nationwide on January 9, 2015. To learn more about the film, go to www.selmamovie.com