Miami GEMS unveils biggest lineup with A24 opener and closer
Miami's autumn film showcase is getting its biggest edition yet.
The 13th Miami Film Festival GEMS, the festival's fall midseason event, will run Oct. 29 to Nov. 5 with 50 titles in the 2026 lineup, described as the largest GEMS lineup so far, according to details reported by Variety.
The opening night film is A24's "The Debut" from writer-director Jesse Eisenberg. Julianne Moore stars as Mona Friedman, a housewife cast in a small part at a community theatre who throws herself into method acting. Paul Giamatti co-stars as the production's domineering director, with Halle Bailey, Eisenberg and Bernadette Peters also in the cast and music and lyrics by Eisenberg.
The closing night film is also from A24. "Club Kid" is written and directed by Jordan Firstman, who stars as Peter, a New York City club promoter whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of the 10-year-old son he never knew he had. The film had its world premiere in Un Certain Regard, the second competition section at the Cannes Film Festival. The cast also includes Cara Delevingne, Diego Calva and Kirby Howell-Baptiste, with Miss Benny also appearing alongside Firstman, as reported by WLRN. It is Firstman's feature directorial debut.
The centrepiece selection brings together "Being Heumann," "Behemoth!," "Bunker," "Elsinore," "Paper Tiger" and "Wild Horse Nine." "Being Heumann" comes from director Sian Heder, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rebekah Taussig, based on the memoir by disability rights activist Judy Heumann. GEMS will also show several national entries for the Academy Awards international feature race, including Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "All of a Sudden," Lukas Dhont's "Coward" and Andrey Zvyagintsev's "Minotaur."
Awards and live conversations sit at the heart of the week. Variety will honour John Turturro with the Variety Creative Vanguard Award, presented during a moderated conversation hosted by Variety co-president and co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh about his career and his latest film, "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York." That film, written and directed by Noah Segan, will screen at the festival.
Directors Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson, the film-makers behind "Ghostlight," will bring "Mouse," which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, and receive the Art of Light Award. Kyle MacLachlan will receive the Precious Gem Award at a special event with Miami bookseller Books & Books to honour his debut memoir, "Fictional Self." GEMS will also host a retrospective screening for the 25th anniversary of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," followed by an Impact Award presentation and Q&A with writer, director and star John Cameron Mitchell.
What makes this stand out for regular moviegoers is the mix. Big festival titles, awards hopefuls and anniversary events share one compact programme. The festival site also points to a royal-style event at Vizcaya to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Marie Antoinette," and guest appearances including Los Javis, as noted by Miami New Times. The main Miami Film Festival is then scheduled to return April 1-11, 2027, according to the Miami Film Festival.
