​Aretha Franklin Documentary 'Amazing Grace' Finally Gets Release 46 Years Later

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Nov 6, 2018

An Aretha Franklin concert documentary that was filmed 46 years ago is finally set to see release.
 
As Variety reports, Amazing Grace will debut at the DOC NYC festival next week, before getting treated to a wide release in 2019.
 
The gospel performance was filmed in 1972 at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles and was originally intended to accompany Franklin's best-selling gospel album of the same name. The film, shot by late director Sydney Pollack, was initially scrapped due to technical issues.
 
The film was eventually completed (with mixing duties performed by Jimmy Douglass) and supposed to premiere at Telluride and TIFF in 2015, but Franklin's lawyers put a stop to it.

After the TIFF screening was cancelled, Franklin said at the time: "Justice, respect and what is right prevailed and one's right to own their own self-image."

Producer Alan Elliott and the Franklin estate have finally reached a deal, though — just in time to contend for this year's Oscar season.
Elliott is now hoping for a premiere in Franklin's hometown of Detroit next April.
 
Long-heralded the "Queen of Soul," Franklin passed away in August at the age of 76.

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