The specialty box office is getting a jolt from a politically charged documentary. NAZA, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, opened Wednesday at New York’s IFC Center and had already sold out most shows through the weekend by noon on opening day. The film is projecting more than $70,000 for its first five days.
That is a strong start for a title with no narration, no infographics and no talent Q&As. The directors attended the Venice and New York film festival premieres but will not appear at U.S. opening events; reps said they are not currently in the U.S. or Israel. Abraham said his role was to “listen and document, not scold,” especially given the backlash the film has drawn.
What the release data shows
- $70K+ projected first five days at IFC Center, with most shows sold out through the weekend.
- 60+ theaters in over 30 markets set for next weekend’s expansion.
- €1.81 million ($2.1 million) opening in Italy, with rest-of-world sales closed in 56 markets.
- 100% Rotten Tomatoes score from 32 reviews.
- 25-minute standing ovation at Venice, where it won the Special Jury Prize.
The film’s subject is the IDF’s NAZA collateral damage protocol, which soldiers describe as allowing anywhere from several to as high as 500 civilian casualties in strikes on suspected Hamas militants. Israel denies the claims, and President Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to revoke the filmmakers’ citizenship and pass legislation making it illegal to criticize the armed forces. That political tension is part of the film’s marketing reality.
Why the distribution strategy matters
The Guardian, which produced the film with JW Films, plans to stream it internationally for free in six to eight weeks. That short theatrical window—essentially a paid preview before a free global release—tests whether specialty audiences will pay for urgency and exclusivity when the content will soon be free.
For media planners and film marketers, NAZA is a case study in converting festival awards, critical consensus and controversy into sell-out headlines. The expansion to 60+ theaters will show whether the demand extends beyond New York. And the absence of talent Q&As has not dented opening sales; the selling point is the testimony itself, not the personalities.
Elsewhere in specialty
Ketchup Entertainment opens the comedy Rolling Loud on 868 screens, with Owen Wilson and Christian Convery; it follows a 13-city regional tour. Obscured Releasing debuts the absurdist comedy Lady in New York and Miami, while Rue Dangeau’s Victorian thriller Séance starts a one-week run in Los Angeles before widening.
Source: Deadline
