Oscars 2025: these 4 films are preselected to represent France

Among them are The Count of Monte Cristo and Emilia Perez. But which one will go into competition?

This week, white smoke came out of the meeting room of the committee in charge of selecting French representatives. for the Oscar for best international film. THE CNC (National Center of Cinema) and the eleven members of the jury, which include the director and screenwriter Florian Zeller, Oscar winner for The Fatherand director Audrey Diwan, crowned with the Golden Lion at Venice for The Event, have just presented a first list feature films likely to represent France at the 2025 Oscars. Here they are:

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte. The immense literary fresco carried by Pierre Niney continues to conquer critics and the public. Currently in theaters, its eight million admissions in France make it a sure candidate for the Oscars. The cast also includes Anamaria Vartolomei, Vassili Schneider, Anaïs Demoustier and Laurent Lafitte.

Emilia Perez by Jacques Audiard. Currently in theaters, the Cannes musical left the Croisette with the Best Actress Award awarded to all the actresses: Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldana and Adriana Paz. If the film is selected, it will be the second Oscar nomination for the director – already nominated in this category in 2010 for A Prophet with Tahar Rahim.

All we imagine as light by Payal Kapadia. This French production was awarded the Grand Prix at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. An intimate portrait of women in India marked by the weight of tradition and society, where the filmmaker places great emphasis on female emancipation. With Kani Kurusti, Divya Prabha. In theaters October 2.

Mercy by Alain Guiraudie. Presented this year at Cannes Première, this dramatic comedy depicts a man's stay in his former village which ends up taking an unexpected turn. With Catherine Frot and Félix Kysyl. In theaters October 16.

Since the announcement of the pre-selection, on social networks, everyone has been going for their favorite. But only the jury will be able to make the verdict. Next Wednesday, the production teams will be auditioned, after which the commission will decide and choose one of these four films to hope to be the French flag bearer at the Oscars.

Last year, France sent The Passion Dodin Bouffant, but the latter was finally turned away at the doors of the ceremony, whileAnatomy of a fall seemed to have a much better chance. Will these films have a better chance? The last French victory was in 1993, when Régis Wargnier took home the precious statuette for Indochina.

The 97th Academy Awards will be held on March 2, 2025.

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