ABOUT
“City of Ali” details how the death of Muhammad Ali brought the people of his Kentucky hometown - and the world- together for one unforgettable week.
On June 3, 2016, Muhammad Ali’s passing came in the midst of a bitter U.S. presidential election, a proposed Muslim ban and the global expansion of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Yet on the day of Ali’s funeral procession, more than 100,000 people lined the streets of Louisville to celebrate his life. Over one billion people worldwide tuned in to events, including Ali’s memorial, held in the packed KFC YUM! Center. Stories of the Louisville Lip’s wit, generosity, swagger and commitment to justice were retold by President Bill Clinton, Billy Crystal, Lonnie Ali, and many others.
Hometown Love
Often heralded “The Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century,” Ali was an inspiration to the world, not only for his athletic accomplishments, but in his fight against racial injustice and all forms of hatred and prejudice. Ali’s death left his beloved hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, with a huge question, “How do you say goodbye to the greatest?” A question they answered in full as the Ali Center welcomed a multitude of guests. The city carried out his final wishes and made sure that The Greatest had a farewell worthy of his legacy.
Hear from those who knew Ali best
“City of Ali” explores Ali’s lifelong relationship with his hometown through candid interviews with friends and relatives whose history with The Champ dates back to his childhood home at 3302 Grand Avenue. Interviewees include Asaad Ali, Lonnie Ali, Rahaman Ali, Rasheda Ali, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, members of the Muhammad Ali Center and many more.
We also hear behind-the-scenes accounts of this unprecedented celebration of one man’s life from those who planned the events. As well as thoughtful reflections from visitors such as NBC’s Craig Melvin, TV legend Dick Cavett, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, 4-time Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield, ESPN’s Hannah Storm and many others.
GRAHAM SHELBY (Director)
Graham Shelby is an experienced multimedia storyteller. He has written for The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, and Salon, among other outlets. His audio stories have appeared on NPR, The Moth Radio Hour, Marketplace, and Voice of America. A veteran stage performer, Graham hosts The Moth Story Slam in Louisville, Kentucky and performs his original multimedia one-man show The Man On TV in theatres, universities and other venues.
In his capacity as speechwriter, Graham worked with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and members of the Mayor’s Communications Team to produce what became the first public eulogy for Muhammad Ali. That speech was broadcast worldwide the day after The Champ’s passing in June 2016. City of Ali is his first film.
JONATHAN McHUGH (Producer)
Jonathan McHugh is an independent filmmaker who has held high-ranking positions at New Line Cinema/Warner Brothers, Sony and Universal in his 35-year career in entertainment.
He recently finished directing his first two films: Long Live Rock…Celebrate the Chaos and Cosplay Universe. He has served as producer and/or music supervisor on more than 100 films and TV series. Many of these include some of the biggest names in music: Janis Joplin’s highly regarded documentary Janis: Little Girl Blue, Snoop Dogg‘s Hood of Horror, and Repo The Genetic Opera, (Lionsgate) along with Lifetime’s Flying By (with Billy Ray Cyrus) and Discovery TV’s "Battleground Earth" (with Ludacris & Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee.)
McHugh is currently music supervising the Lionsgate TV series “Blindspotting” and “Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” starring Tiffany Haddish, Woody Harrelson and John Goodman. He also recently served as music supervisor on the independent films Butter and Dweller.
McHugh is a former Grammy Trustee and President of the Los Angeles Chapter, Producers Guild Documentary jury member, and is Secretary and co-founder of the Guild of Music Supervisors.