Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut will open the 23rd Marrakech International Film Festival, organisers announced on November 2. The festival runs from November 20 to 28, with a selection spanning 76 films from 39 countries.
Julianne Moore stars as Mona Friedman, a reserved housewife who wins a small role in a community theatre production. Her commitment to the part grows into an obsessive defence of its artistic importance, bringing her into conflict with the show’s director.
Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey and Eisenberg are also among the cast. Eisenberg wrote and directed the comedy, which A24 currently lists for a December 11 theatrical release in the United States.
The Debut is the festival’s opening gala film. Separately, the official competition brings together 14 first and second features competing for the Étoile d’Or, with Marion Cotillard presiding over the jury.
The wider programme includes gala screenings of Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial and James Gray’s Paper Tiger, alongside other festival sections. The November announcement confirms The Debut’s Marrakech opening-night slot; it does not describe the screening as the film’s world premiere.
