Jesse Eisenberg's The Debut opens Vancouver ahead of December release

Jesse Eisenberg’s musical-comedy The Debut opens the Vancouver International Film Festival on Oct. 1 before its Dec. 11 cinema release, with distributor A24 already preparing an awards push, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

A cinema release, in industry terms, means a run in theatres open to paying audiences. An awards campaign means paid screenings, advertising and events aimed at Oscar voters. A24 has set both in motion.

The story centres on Mona Friedman, a housewife unexpectedly cast in a local community theatre production of a musical. Julianne Moore plays Mona. Paul Giamatti plays the production’s enigmatic director.

The cast around them is large. It includes Eisenberg himself, Halle Bailey, Havana Rose Liu, Bernadette Peters, Colton Ryan, Lilli Cooper, Maulik Pancholy and Bonnie Milligan.

Eisenberg is the writer-director. The film is his third feature as a director. He also wrote the tunes and lyrics for the show inside the story.

The Debut premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, according to Variety. It then screened at Toronto. Toronto’s festival guide lists it as a dark comedy.

Vancouver is next. The Debut is the Opening Gala film for VIFF 2026. It runs 105 minutes.

The 45th Vancouver International Film Festival runs Oct. 1–11. The line-up includes more than 160 films and 85 shorts, alongside VIFF Live performances, talks and special events.

Opening night is a special by-invitation screening. Standby tickets will be available at the door only, with none sold online.

The festival launch feeds directly into awards season. A24 is mounting an Oscar campaign for the film. Eisenberg arrives with recent form: his last film, A Real Pain, brought an Oscar nomination for best original screenplay and an Oscar win for Kieran Culkin as best supporting actor.

Moore is also on a run of festival honours. She accepted the Golden Icon Award in Zurich, where Eisenberg joined her on stage, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She will next receive a lifetime honour at the Rome Film Festival. Eisenberg will present that award in Rome.

What makes this stand out is the calendar. Gala opener in October. Honours in Zurich and Rome. Cinemas in December. For fans, this means plenty of chances to hear about The Debut before tickets go on sale.