Press Release – The Public Good
The strong debut puts the film on track to become one of the highest-grossing New Zealand documentaries of the past five years.
The New Zealand feature film TENOR: MY NAME IS PATI has struck a chord with audiences across the country, emerging as one of the top-performing films at the New Zealand box office this past week. The film grossed $220,000 including PPV’s in its first week, one of the biggest openings for a NZ film in 2026.
(Photo/Supplied)
Directed and produced by Rebecca Tansley, the film – which follows the remarkable journey of Samoan tenor Pene Pati and his brother Amitai – reached the #1 spot at the national box office on Monday and is tipped to remain at #1.
The strong debut puts the film on track to become one of the highest-grossing New Zealand documentaries of the past five years.
Support for the release has been especially strong within the Pasifika community, with audiences turning out in large numbers for screenings across Aotearoa including sold-out premieres in Auckland and Christchurch. The film follows Pene’s journey from Samoa to South Auckland and on to the world’s greatest opera stages, alongside his brother and fellow opera singer Amitai Pati.
Kelly Rogers, CEO of Rialto Distribution, says the response has been overwhelming.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to see TENOR: MY NAME IS PATI connecting so strongly with audiences across the country. The support, particularly from Pasifika communities, has been phenomenal, and it’s wonderful to see a wide range of audiences supporting such a beautiful and brilliant film
TENOR: MY NAME IS PATI is now playing in cinemas nationwide.
Content Sourced from scoop.co.nz
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