The French film academy, the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, has unveiled this year’s nominees for the Cesar Awards, France’s top film honor.
Lea Seydoux and Adam Driver are two big names nominated for the best acting honors. Xavier Giannoli’s Lost Illusions (Illusions Perdues) leads the Cesar pack with 15 nominations. It is followed by Leos Carax’s Annette, with 11, and Valerie Lemercier’s Aline, with 10.
They all compete for the top prize with Audrey Diwan’s Venice Golden Lion winner Happening, Cédric Jimenez’s The Stronghold (Bac Nord), a cop thriller that premiered in Cannes and was one of the most successful French films at the box office last year, as well as Arthur Harari’s Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle and Catherine Corsini’s The Divide.
The controversial Cannes Palme d’Or winner Titane didn’t get a nomination in the best film category, but Julia Ducournau is a contender for the best director award, along with Carax, Jimenez, Diwan, Giannoli, Harari and Lemercier.
Albert Dupontel’s comedy Bye Bye Morons was the big winner at last year’s Cesars, taking the best film and best director trophies and the honor for best supporting actor Nicolas Marié.
The 47th Cesar Awards will be held at the Olympia theater in Paris on Feb. 25, with screenwriter Danièle Thompson (Cousin cousine, La buche) hosting the ceremony.
Source: Hollywood
