Neon participated in the release of “NAZA,” a documentary consisting of anonymous interviews with 24 members of the Israeli military that details the country’s airstrikes on Gaza and the killing of Palestinian civilians.
This partnership marks a radical change within the distribution market. Filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor’s latest documentary “No Other Land” (co-directed with Hamdan Ballal and Basel Adra), about Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank of Palestine, was made without an American distribution partner in 2024 – a development that, at the time, Abraham said he “read as something completely political.” Many in the industry speculated that traditional distributors had concluded that documentaries about Israel and Palestine were too controversial to do business in the United States. Despite its independent release, “No Other Land” ended up grossing $3.6 million in theaters worldwide and winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
For the “NAZA” release partnership, Neon will “work with filmmakers to expand its footprint and reach broader audiences and communities.” Further details on how the distributor will support the film have yet to be disclosed.
Following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim and won the Special Jury Prize, “NAZA” immediately launched an independent theatrical release in the United States and abroad. After its release in the United States on September 30, the film surpassed the gross of $500,000 in less than two weeks after it began screening in 85 theaters across 30 cities. The Guardian newspaper, which produced “NAZA,” plans to make the feature available to stream for free on its website in November.
“Yuval and Rachel have created one of the best films of the year; it’s an extraordinary work of art and an eyewitness account that sits alongside landmark documentaries like Laura Poitras’ ‘Citizenfour’ and Joshua Oppenheimer’s ‘The Act of Killing,'” read a statement from Neon. “At the heart of Neon’s mission is a commitment to championing the best cinema in the world. We are proud to join the incredible team already working on the film and help bring it to the widest possible audience.”
Prior to the Neon deal, “NAZA” had already secured distribution plans in 50 countries. The film is produced by The Guardian under James Wilson’s JW Films banner, in association with Placeholder Films and Unseen Hand. “The Zone of Interest” director Jonathan Glazer serves as executive producer. MK2 Films brokered the deal with Neon.
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