The 2026 Middleburg Film Festival wrapped up over the weekend, and those in attendance have chosen their favorites. Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut snagged the Best Narrative Feature audience award, the latest win for the acclaimed theatre comedy starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti. The film is Eisenberg’s third as a director, following When You Finish Saving the World (also with Moore) and A Real Pain.
Runner-Up was Simon Stone’s Elsinore, starring Andrew Scott as Chariots of Fire actor Ian Charleson as he attempts to star in a production of Hamlet while also dying of AIDS. Second Runner-Up was Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy Wild Horse Nine, starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell.
Moore, Scott, and Malkovich are all expected to be nominees at the upcoming Academy Awards.
Ava DuVernay’s 14th, exploring the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, won the Best Documentary Feature award. Netflix’s queer epic La Bola Negra won Best International Feature.
The Middleburg Film Festival ran from Oct. 15th-18th. You can find all of my coverage here, and reviews of the winners here.
