Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut, starring Julianne Moore, has been selected as the opening film of the 23rd Marrakech International Film Festival, which will take place from November 20 to 28, 2026. The announcement was made alongside the unveiling of a programme featuring 76 films from 39 countries, bringing together international premieres, established filmmakers and emerging voices across several sections.
Directed by Eisenberg, The Debut is a comedy led by Moore as a shy housewife who discovers a passion for amateur theatre. After being cast in a community theatre musical, her involvement takes an unexpected turn as she becomes increasingly immersed in the world of acting and develops an intense approach to her new pursuit. Eisenberg and Moore are expected to attend the festival for the opening-night gala screening.
The Marrakech selection adds another major international showcase to the film’s festival journey, following its appearances at Telluride, the Toronto International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival. Its opening-night placement also gives the festival a high-profile title to launch an edition that brings together films from a wide range of filmmaking traditions and regions.
The festival’s Gala Screenings programme will feature several other prominent titles, including Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial, James Gray’s Paper Tiger and Noah Segan’s The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, starring John Turturro. The section will also host two world premieres, offering audiences an opportunity to discover new films making their first public appearances in Marrakech.
Fellipe Barbosa’s Leila et la nuit is inspired by the life of Moroccan photographer Leila Alaoui and stars Roschdy Zem and Marina Foïs. Meanwhile, Omar Hilal’s His Weakest Creatures, set around Cairo’s Giza Zoo, brings Egyptian actors Ahmed Helmy and Hend Sabry together on screen for the first time. Laïla Marrakchi’s Strawberries, which has been selected as Morocco’s submission for the Academy Awards’ International Feature Film category, is also part of the programme.
The Official Competition will focus on emerging filmmakers, with 14 first and second feature films competing for the festival’s Étoile d’Or. French actress Marion Cotillard will serve as the jury president. The selection includes Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo’s Ben’imana, Abdallah Al-Khatib’s Chronicles from the Siege, Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu’s House of the Wind and Rafiki Fariala’s Congo Boy.
India will also feature in the competition through Shalini Adnani’s Our Share of Sand, a UK-India-Greece co-production. Its inclusion adds an Indian connection to a selection that brings together filmmakers and stories from different parts of the world.
Three competition titles will have their world premieres in Marrakech. Yassine Marco Marroccu’s Alkebulan moves between the Sahara of the 1960s and Italy of the 1930s. Farzad Samsami’s Waves of Silence, shot in Morocco, explores the subject of migrant shipwrecks, while Rani and Salem Massalha’s Cairo Shadows is a thriller set within Egypt’s Coptic Christian community. Together, these titles add to the competition’s focus on films from varied regions and filmmaking backgrounds.
Beyond the competition and gala presentations, the Horizons section will bring together films by internationally recognised directors. Its selection includes Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord, May el-Toukhy’s Woman Unknown, Andrew Haigh’s A Long Winter and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Look Back. The section will also feature Arab cinema through titles such as Mohammed Hammad’s Safe Exit, Sara Ishaq’s The Station and Ahmed Hassouna’s Citizen Osama.
The festival will continue its focus on experimental and diverse filmmaking through the 11th Continent section, which features 13 films. The selection includes works by Danielle Arbid, Sompot Chidgasornpongse and Radu Jude, bringing together filmmakers whose work contributes to the programme’s wider exploration of different cinematic approaches.
The Moroccan Panorama will present six fiction and documentary films, including Tala Hadid’s Bardi and Mohamed Mouftakir’s Hoods, both among the section’s world-premiere titles. Across the complete programme, 11 Moroccan films have been selected, alongside three films shot in the country. The section places Moroccan filmmaking within the broader international programme while giving local productions a distinct platform.
The Young Audiences & Families section will include 11 screenings. Its titles include Philippe Riche’s animated film Girl in the Clouds and the world premiere of Mohcine Besri’s All But My Mother, starring Omar Lotfi and Abdellah Didane. The selection extends the festival’s programme to younger audiences and families, complementing its competition, gala and specialist sections.
With The Debut leading its opening-night programme, the 2026 Marrakech International Film Festival will bring together a wide-ranging selection of international cinema, from established filmmakers and high-profile gala titles to first and second features competing for the Étoile d’Or. The 23rd edition will run from November 20 to 28, with 76 films representing 39 countries across its various sections.