National Geographic Documentary Films announced today that the critically acclaimed five-part documentary series from Participant and Kartemquin Films, CITY SO REAL,will air in an unprecedented one-night, five-hour, commercial-free event on Thursday, October 29 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT. All five episodes will then be available on Hulu the following day – Friday, October 30.
From twice Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Steve James (“America to Me,” “Hoop Dreams”) and his longtime producing partner Zak Piper (“Life Itself,” “The Interrupters”), the fascinating and complex portrait of contemporary Chicago delivers a deep, multifaceted look into the soul of a quintessentially American city, set against the backdrop of its history-making 2019 mayoral election.
CITY SO REAL was an official Indie Episodic selection at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival where it had its world premiere. Voxhailed the series as “an engrossing portrait of a city —and a country —at an inflection point, and a love letter to Chicago, too,” while IndieWireraved that CITY SO REAL is “substantial, engrossing, and declarative.” The premiere on National Geographic will exclusively feature an epic fifth episode that follows the COVID-19 pandemic and social uprising following George Floyd’s death.
As part of Walt Disney Television’s civic engagement campaign, National Geographic is partnering with I am a voter. to encourage viewers to vote in the upcoming election. Across the network leading up to the election including during the five-hour, commercial-free broadcast of CITY SO REAL, I am a voter. PSAs will air and National Geographic will leverage its social media accounts to promote the important message of voting.
