Closing Gala: The Debut

Mona Friedman (Julianne Moore), a timid New Jersey housewife, seeks escape from her suffocating suburban life by auditioning for a local community theater musical. When she unexpectedly lands a minor supporting role, she falls deep under the spell of Jerry (Paul Giamatti), the production’s brilliant but domineering director. Driven to prove her worth, Mona transforms into a zealous, unhinged method actor. She goes to extreme lengths to protect her character's artistic integrity, fracturing her reality. Engaging in an all-out psychological war against the tyrant director, Mona turns the local stage into a beautifully bizarre battlefield of self-discovery.

Rave reviews welcomed this third directorial feature by actor Jesse Eisenberg – who also wrote seven songs for the film - following his critically acclaimed film A Real Pain. A reality-based satire that edges into a dreamy, David Lynch-style surrealism, The Debut is one of these films that are a true gift for its lead actors, with Julianne Moore convincingly embodying a timid amateur whose singing is poor… until it becomes beautiful. A gift for the viewers, too.

Irish Sign Language will be provided by a sign language interpreter during the speeches at the Closing Gala.

This screening will be accompanied by Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing audiences.