'Pavarotti' will be the first documentary to achieve a Saudi Arabian cinema release

Critically acclaimed doc will launch in Saudi, and across the GCC, on July 4

Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti. Getty Images

Pavarotti, a documentary on the life and work of opera legend Luciano Pavarotti, will become the first documentary feature to achieve a general cinema release in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia when it hits screens on July 25.

Front Row Filmed Entertainment, the Middle-East’s leading independent film distributor, and the Kuwait National Cinema Company (KNCC) own all MENA rights for the title which will be released at VOX Cinemas and AMC Cinemas in the kingdom, as well as in cinemas in the UAE and across the Middle East.

The release comes fifteen years after Front Row broke new grounds in the region by being the first distributor to release a documentary theatrically in the shape of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11.

Front Row was just a year old when it released that film in 2004, and despite initial skepticism from the UAE’s exhibitors it went on to be in the top 20 earners of the year, and took over a million dollars at the regional box office.

Directed by Academy Award Winner Ron Howard, and produced by the same team behind the highly acclaimed The Beatles: Eight Days a Week, the documentary features history-making performances and intimate interviews, including never-before-seen footage and cutting-edge Dolby Atmos technology.

Pavarotti was initially released in the US by CBS Films on June 7 on 48 screens. Its total box office there has just cleared the $1m mark and it currently boasts an impressive 88 per cent critic score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, alongside a 97 per cent audience score.

"Luciano Pavarotti was and still is a musical and cultural icon. His voice united people from all corners of the world and he was an inspiration to millions," said Gianluca Chakra, CEO of Front Row Filmed Entertainment. "We are incredibly proud to be representing Pavarotti and for it to be the first major documentary to be released in Saudi Arabia as we are firm believers in its potential to wow audiences in the Kingdom."

Pavarotti will release across the GCC and Lebanon on July 4.