‘Kingdom Of Shadows’ Launches North American Tour

LOS ANGELES (September 14, 2015) – Participant Media is proud to announce the launch of Bernardo Ruiz’s Kingdom of Shadows North American tour. The film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival this year, and will screen throughout the United States and Mexico this fall leading up to its video-on-demand release November 17 and theatrical release November 20 in Los Angeles, New York, and select cities.

Ruiz is previously known for directing the Emmy^®-nominated “Reportero,” streaming on PBS.org until October 2 and hailed by New York Magazine as “a powerful reminder of how journalism often requires immense amounts of physical and psychological bravery.” The trailer for Kingdom of Shadows premieres today, giving viewers a glimpse of Ruiz’s masterfully crafted exposé of Mexico’s “disappeared,” the estimated 23,000 individuals who have gone missing since 2007 as a result of the escalating violence. Ruiz has spent his entire professional life exploring the relationship between the United States and Mexico and sees this film as a continuation of the work he has done throughout his career: “I believe this crisis has been underreported until recently … what I wanted to do in Kingdom of Shadows is to make a stealth human-rights film. It’s an exploration of the root causes behind this unacceptable level of violence in Mexico.”

In Kingdom of Shadows, Ruiz takes an unflinching look at the human cost of the U.S.-Mexico drug war through the perspectives of three unlikely individuals. Sister Consuelo Morales, based in the devastated city of Monterrey, prods government officials to take action against the drug cartels on behalf of grieving families whose loved ones have gone missing. Texan rancher Don Henry Ford Jr. offers historical context for the evolution to the hyper-violent state of drug trafficking today, as he recounts his career as a smuggler during the 1980s, before he served time for importing marijuana. And undercover agent-turned-senior Homeland Security officer, Oscar Hagelsieb, recounts his own remarkable journey and offers a unique perspective on the U.S.’ role in the drug war. As the child of undocumented parents, Oscar grew up in an impoverished neighborhood where many of his peers gave in to the temptations of the drug economy.

The tour will begin at the Ambulante Film Festival in Mexico before it moves to different regions of the United States, from Texas to California to Virginia, highlighting the growing rights crisis in Mexico and its increasing relevance to U.S.-Mexico relations.

Kingdom of Shadows was produced by Boiling Pot and Quiet Pictures and is being distributed in North America by Participant Media. Tour schedule follows:

Kingdom of Shadows Tour*

September 10 & 12 Ambulante Presenta: LA68 – Merida, MX

September 12 Alamo City Film Festival – San Antonio, TX

September 19 NAHJ Excellence in Journalism Conference – Orlando, FL

September 23 San Francisco Latino Film Festival – San Francisco, CA

October Ambulante Presenta: Cineteca Nacional – Tijuana, MX

October 1 Ambulante California, USC’s School of Cinematic Arts – Los Angeles, CA

October 5 Ambulante Presenta: Culiacan Screening – Culiacan, MX

November 5 Sedona Film Festival – Sedona, AZ

November 7 American Dreams & American Nightmares: A Migration/Border Film Series – Santa Fe, NM

November 9 Austin Film Society, Doc Night – Austin, TX

November 10 Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center – San Antonio, TX

November 12 USA Film Festival Sneak -– Dallas, TX

November 13 Limited Theatrical Release – Mexico

November 14 Bronx Documentary Center – Bronx, NY

November 16 New America NYC – New York, NY

November 17 Available On Demand

November 20 In Theaters – New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA

*For latest tour updates, visit: https://www.facebook.com/kingdomshadows

Press materials: https://participantmedia.box.com/shadows

English Trailer: https://youtu.be/hSQhi2V9SoM

Spanish Trailer: https://youtu.be/qV1MfCRes2k

About Participant Media

Participant Media (http://www.participantmedia.com/) is a leading media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires and compels social change. Founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll, Participant combines the power of a good story well told with opportunities for viewers to get involved. Participant’s more than 60 films include Lincoln, Contagion, The Help, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Food, Inc., Waiting for ‘Superman,’ CITIZENFOUR, and An Inconvenient Truth. Participant has also launched more than a dozen original series, including “Please Like Me,” “Hit Record On TV with Joseph Gordon-Levitt,” and “Fortitude,” for its television network, Pivot. Participant’s digital hub, TakePart, serves millions of socially conscious consumers each month with daily articles, videos, and opportunities to take action.