Beginning May 15, Eagle Rock Entertainment and Michael Murphy Productions will present a virtual cinema release of the celebrated New Orleans documentary Up From The Streets ®: New Orleans: The City of Music. Viewers will be able to buy a ticket to the film from a local cinema and watch the film at home, which allows them to support their favorite independent movie theater as they practice social distancing and self-quarantine. A portion of the proceeds from each $12 “ticket” sale will be donated to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s Jazz & Heritage Music Relief Fund, a statewide relief initiative that supports New Orleans and Louisiana musicians who have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The film explores the unparalleled, historical musical heritage of New Orleans. Produced and directed by Michael Murphy and hosted by Oscar-nominated and six-time Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard, Up From The Streets dissects the evolution of the city’s music, from early innovations in jazz through R&B and funk. Archival and newly filmed performances by such legends as Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, the Neville Brothers and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band are woven between conversations with such impactful New Orleans musicians as Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr., Mannie Fresh, and Dr. Michael White. The film also includes commentary by Robert Plant, Keith Richards, Bonnie Raitt and Sting. “Anyone interested in the culture and music of New Orleans will love this film,” states Terence Blanchard. “The resilience of the people of New Orleans reflects the story of America.”

An intricate study and celebration of a quintessential cultural epicenter, Up From The Streets ®: New Orleans: The City of Music is a definitive look at one of the most influential components of American music. The film was directed by Michael Murphy and produced by Robin Burgess and Cilista Eberle has been nominated as best feature in numerous film festivals, including  Best Feature Louisiana Documentary at 2019 New Orleans Film Festival, and Best Feature Documentary at the Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival and the 2020 DC Independent Film Festival. Up from The Streets also received the Documentary Feature Award of Excellence at Indie Fest Film Festival and the Juried Gold Award Winner for Best Feature Documentary at Houston WorldFest Film Festival, the world’s largest and third oldest film festival.

Viewers will be able to buy a ticket from the over 50 theaters nationwide that are participating in the virtual release. Tickets will be good for seven days, and the viewer will have 72 hours to finish the film once they have started watching it. New Orleans cinemas that will benefit are The Broad Theater and Zeitgeist Theater. Virtual cinema tickets will be available here.