The nominations for the 50th César Awards have been announced, and leading the pack is the French adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ epic novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, with 14 nominations, staking its claim as one of the frontrunners at France’s equivalent of the Oscars. Following closely is Gilles Lellouche's crime romance, Beaming Hearts, with 13 nominations, and the Oscar contender Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard, which has secured 12 nominations, including nods for Best Film and Best Actress for Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldana.
These nominations highlight not only the high caliber of filmmaking but also the strong performance at the box office, as both The Count of Monte Cristo and Beaming Hearts were among France's top grossing films of 2024. Interestingly, both films are produced by Mediawan-owned companies, Chapter 2 and Chi-Fou-Mi, respectively.
Adding to the diversity of nominations, A Little Something Extra, which features non-professional actors with disabilities, has garnered attention and earned a Best First Film nomination for the director Artus. This film saw nearly 11 million admissions, marking it as one of the audience's favorites.
Meanwhile, The Substance, another contender for the Oscars, has been nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Césars, though it is competing for five Academy Awards as well. Its eligibility for the César Award categories is restricted because the film was mainly produced outside France by Working Title, unlike Emilia Pérez, produced by Paris-based Why Not Productions.
The César Awards ceremony, scheduled for February 28, 2025, at the Olympia Concert Hall in Paris, promises to be competitive and highly anticipated. The event will be presided over by the legendary Catherine Deneuve, with American actress Julia Roberts set to receive an honorary César Award.
Besides The Count of Monte Cristo, Im Lovedou Ou Pas has also emerged as a strong competitor, alongside films like The Marching Band, Souleymane’s Story, and Misericordia. These films explore various themes, with Souleymane’s Story particularly noted for its timely and politically minded narrative, featuring Abou Sangare as a Guinean immigrant facing hardship and aspirations for asylum.
Each year, the César nominations spark significant discussions surrounding representation and recognition within the film industry, and this year is no different. Following Justine Triet's success with Anatomy of a Fall winning multiple awards last year, there is scrutiny around the male-dominated nominations this year, with Fargeat as the only female director nominated at the Oscars, and no women directors represented at the Césars.
Alongside the prestigious film categories, there are also nominations for Best Director, highlighting the contributions of filmmakers. Nominees for this category include Gilles Lellouche for Beaming Hearts, Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière for The Count of Monte Cristo, and Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez.
The nominations announce tight competition between the celebrated films, compelling the public to await outcomes eagerly. The César Awards achieve their yearly objective to honor visionaries and characters who have left marks within French cinema.
To recap, the list of nominees is as follows:
- Best Film: The Count of Monte Cristo, Emilia Pérez, The Marching Band, Souleymane’s Story, Misericordia
- Best Director: Gilles Lellouche for Beaming Hearts, Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière for The Count of Monte Cristo, Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez, Boris Lojkine for Souleymane’s Story, Alain Guiraudie for Misericordia
- Best Actress: Adèle Exarchopoulos for Beaming Hearts, Karla Sofía Gascón for Emilia Pérez, Hélène Vincent for When Fall Is Coming, Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez, Hafsia Herzi for Borgo
- Best Actor: François Civil for Beaming Hearts, Pierre Niney for The Count of Monte Cristo, Tahar Rahim for Monsieur Aznavour, Karim Leklou for Jim’s Story, Benjamin Lavernhe for The Marching Band
- Best First Film: Wild Diamond by Agathe Riedinger, Ghost Trail by Jonathan Millet, The Kingdom by Julien Colonna, A Little Something Extra by Artus, Holy Cow by Louise Courvoisier
- Best Foreign Film: Anora, The Seed of The Sacred Fig, The Apprentice, The Substance, The Zone of Interest
With the official reveals over and only weeks to go before the ceremony, all eyes are on the films and artists who will be honored at the 50th César Awards.