Marrakech opens with Julianne Moore’s ‘The Debut’—but its top prize is reserved for new filmmakers

A gala opener, not a competitor

Marrakech’s International Film Festival will open on November 20 with The Debut, Jesse Eisenberg’s comedy starring Julianne Moore as a housewife drawn into community theater. The festival unveiled its 2026 selection on Monday: 76 films from 39 countries, including 10 world premieres.marrakech-festival

The opening-night choice sits in the gala program, outside the competition for the Étoile d’Or.yahoo That prize will go to one of 14 first or second features, with actor Marion Cotillard presiding over the jury. The festival runs through November 28.marrakech-festival

Moore’s theatrical transformation

In The Debut, Moore plays Mona Friedman, who lands a part in a local musical and begins to lose herself in the role under the guidance of its director, played by Paul Giamatti. Variety’s review describes the film as both a comedy about community theater and a more unsettling story about self-discovery.variety +1

Marrakech will not be its world premiere: the film has already played Telluride, Toronto and the BFI London Film Festival. A24 previously scheduled a limited U.S. theatrical release for December 11, with a wider rollout over Christmas.screendaily +1

New voices and world premieres

The competition includes three world premieres. Among them is Alkebulan, Moroccan director Yassine Marco Marroccu’s adventure spanning the Sahara in the 1960s and Italy in the 1930s. Another, Waves of Silence, is the feature debut of Iranian-Norwegian filmmaker Farzad Samsami and was shot in Morocco.marrakech-festival +1

The gala section also has two world premieres. Fellipe Barbosa’s Leila et la nuit, filmed in Marrakech, draws on the life of Moroccan photographer Leila Alaoui. Omar Hilal’s His Weakest Creatures, set in Cairo’s Giza Zoo, stars Ahmed Helmy and Hend Sabry.screendaily +1

Beyond the opening night

The Moroccan Panorama includes six films and opens with Tala Hadid’s Bardi. The broader selection includes 11 Moroccan films, while the young-audiences program will include the world premiere of Mohcine Besri’s All But My Mother.moroccoworldnews

Screenings are planned at the Palais des Congrès, Cinéma Le Colisée and Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech from November 20 to 28.marrakech-festival