BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Tonight, the feature film The Hammer opens in theaters in top US markets spread across 25 states. The release includes such cities as: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Seattle, St. Louis and San Francisco, with the participation of theaters such as AMC, Rave Motion Pictures, Studio Movie Grill, UltraStar, Kirkorian, Goodrich, Santikos, Wehrenberg and Marcus Theatres. For more information on the cities involved: www.TheHammerPremiere.com

Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills Quarterback Jim Kelly stated, “I’ve been a fan of Matt Hamill for a long time and I’m honored to be a part of the team that’s brought this uplifting story to the big screen. It’s an incredible underdog story. The Hammer is a must see!”

Based on the life of UFC fighter Matt Hamill, The Hammer is a coming-of-age drama about the first deaf wrestler’s journey to win a National Collegiate Championship. Raised among those with the ability to hear, Matt finds himself no less an outsider amidst the Deaf community. But through sheer determination, he turns what could be a disability into an asset, and in the process, serves as an inspiration for both those who can hear and those who cannot.

See the first American feature film that both a deaf and hearing audience can watch simultaneously; a movie that won 8 out of 8 audience awards in film festivals it was entered in; a movie that was called a “Hidden Gem” by LA Times; and a movie that actress Marlee Matlin calls “An entertaining film for ALL audiences.”

The Hammer is directed by Oren Kaplan and marks his first feature directorial debut. The film stars deaf actors Russell Harvard (There Will Be Blood) and Shoshannah Stern (Lie to Me, Weeds) as Matt Hamill and Kristi Hamill, and Raymond J. Barry (Justified) as Matt’s grandfather. Written and produced by Joseph McKelheer (Godspeed) and Eben Kostbar. The film’s score was composed by iZLER.

D&E Entertainment is distributing the film and ARC Entertainment is heading VOD/DVD/BluRay distribution. Archstone Distribution is handling international.

TapouT Films, Purple Communications and iconosys are on board as marketing partners.

The film’s web-site is www.TheHammerFilm.com