Sofia Coppola makes her documentary debut with an intimate portrait of Marc Jacobs, debuting at Venice, screening at MoMA’s Doc Fortnight (Feb 26–Mar 11, 2026) and arriving in theaters on March 20
Sofia Coppola has made a surprising turn: her first feature-length documentary, Marc by Sofia, casts the director’s familiarly dreamy eye on the fashion designer Marc Jacobs. Rather than a conventional life story, the film unfolds as an intimate study—quiet, observational and rich in texture—bringing Coppola’s signature sense of mood into nonfiction territory.
The film premiered at Venice and A24 has released a trailer that leans into intimacy: fittings, backstage choreography, studio banter and archival flashes that stitch moments of Jacobs’s career together. After its festival run, Marc by Sofia is set to screen at MoMA’s Doc Fortnight (Feb 26–Mar 11, ) and opens widely on March 20.
An impressionistic portrait Coppola rejects linear biography in favor of something like a moving mood board. Contemporary footage of the studio and show-week preparations sits beside archival clips—from Parsons-era images to the grunge-inflected Perry Ellis period—so the film reads as a collage of temperament and practice rather than a timeline of milestones. Sequences are spare and patient: fittings, hands at work, a quiet aside in a sunlit room. Sound and image are allowed to breathe, assembling a portrait through accumulation instead of argument.
That formal choice is the movie’s point of difference. Editing privileges texture—fabric snaps, rehearsal noise, the hush of concentration—over explanatory voiceovers or extended interviews. The effect is intimate yet distanced: you’re often close to Jacobs in his element, but Coppola rarely insists on a single interpretation. Gesture and atmosphere do the heavy lifting.
Early reactions: praise and pushback Festival critics and programmers have generally admired the film’s visual control and the way it honors process. Many describe the editing as deliberate; small, unscripted moments are left to unfurl, which foregrounds creation as lived experience. Several reviewers note that the movie deliberately eschews interview scaffolding, substituting archival fragments and observational footage for on-camera interrogation.
Not everyone finds that satisfying. Viewers looking for a tidy chronology or a deep excavation of cultural impact may feel shortchanged. Some critics argue that atmosphere can become a gloss if it isn’t paired with more pointed contextual work. Others counter that Coppola’s method is perfectly suited to a designer whose practice speaks through objects and gestures—letting the work function as its own testimony.
The conversation the film provokes tends to focus less on what it claims about Jacobs’s place in fashion history than on how Coppola chooses to represent him: what archives she uses, what she omits, and how close observational cinema can be to critical inquiry. In that sense, Marc by Sofia reads as both portrait and provocation—an artwork that invites viewers to weigh feeling against explanation.
Festival life and screenings Marc by Sofia has been embraced by cinephile and museum circuits, where its non-linear structure and archival approach lend themselves to post-screening conversations and panels. Early presentations have included Q&As and curator-led talks that dig into Coppola’s editorial choices and source material.
MoMA’s Doc Fortnight will give the film a high-profile museum context, pairing it with a slate that foregrounds archival and experimental nonfiction. The museum plans Q&As and special events around the screening, offering audiences opportunities to hear from curators and, in some cases, the filmmakers themselves.
Practical notes for attendees – Venue and schedule: Check MoMA’s official listings for exact times and locations; program entries will specify which screenings include Q&As or introductions. – Tickets: Buy through MoMA’s box office or online. For sold-out shows, MoMA sometimes issues a small number of standby tickets before showtime—arrive early if you hope for one. – Formats and running time: Some screenings may include additional archival material or introductions, which can extend the session. – For professionals: Curators and programmers interested in screenings or archival collaborations should contact festival organizers early. A compact press kit and a brief statement about sources and editorial approach are useful for Q&As.
The film premiered at Venice and A24 has released a trailer that leans into intimacy: fittings, backstage choreography, studio banter and archival flashes that stitch moments of Jacobs’s career together. After its festival run, Marc by Sofia is set to screen at MoMA’s Doc Fortnight (Feb 26–Mar 11, ) and opens widely on March 20.0
The film premiered at Venice and A24 has released a trailer that leans into intimacy: fittings, backstage choreography, studio banter and archival flashes that stitch moments of Jacobs’s career together. After its festival run, Marc by Sofia is set to screen at MoMA’s Doc Fortnight (Feb 26–Mar 11, ) and opens widely on March 20.1