The Debut, starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, will open Perth Festival’s outdoor-film season with its Australian premiere at UWA Somerville on 23 November.
Jesse Eisenberg’s third feature turns community theatre into a battlefield. Moore plays Mona, a reserved woman whose small role inspires an outsized commitment to method acting, putting her on a collision course with the production’s director. Halle Bailey and Eisenberg also feature in the cast.
The screening opens Lotterywest Films, a 17-week programme running until 21 March 2027. Public tickets went on sale on 2 November, following Perth Festival’s programme announcement on 29 October. The film programme begins well ahead of Perth Festival’s main events, which run from 5 to 28 February.
Australian filmmakers in the season include Sean O’Reilly, whose Guided by Horses follows Professor Juli Coffin’s work with young First Nations people in the Kimberley. Christopher Nelius’s Whistle follows competitive musical whistlers, including Molly Lewis.
The programme also includes Wishful Thinking, starring Maya Hawke and Lewis Pullman as a couple whose relationship affects world events.
Standard single tickets cost A$25, with A$12.50 Tuesday screenings and multi-film packs also available. The Debut screens through 29 November, with 8pm starts.
