Guardian documentary NAZA sets 50-territory cinema run before free global release
The documentary NAZA will play in cinemas in more than 50 territories from 28 September before becoming available free to global audiences on the Guardian's website later this autumn.
The Guardian and sales company mk2 Films confirmed the release plan on 24 September, according to Deadline.
NAZA is directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor and produced by the Guardian. mk2 Films, which sells films to distributors outside their home countries, launched international sales ahead of the world premiere, according to mk2 Films.
That premiere took place at the Venice Film Festival on 10 September. Since then the film has secured cinema distributors in 56 territories. It also won the Special Jury Prize at Venice, according to The Guardian.
Festivals such as Venice often act as a shop window, where sales agents agree deals with local companies that then handle cinemas in each country. Release dates for NAZA will vary by market, with screenings rolling out from 28 September onwards.
In North America the film will screen first on 26 September at the New York Film Festival. It will then open in the United States on 30 September with an exclusive run at the IFC Center in New York City. The run expands to Los Angeles and other key cities on 9 October ahead of a wider national rollout.
The film is built around testimony from anonymous Israeli intelligence personnel discussing artificial intelligence, error rates and intelligence units, according to The Guardian. Abraham and Szor were two of the four co-directors of the documentary that won the Oscar in 2024.
Abraham spoke on stage in Venice after NAZA received the Special Jury Prize. The Guardian and mk2 Films said the film has been offered to distributors and cinemas in Israel. They will explore other ways to enable the film to be seen in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The cinema run comes first. For viewers, this means a short window to see NAZA on the big screen before it becomes widely available online without charge. Individual distributors will handle the release in each territory.
