Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague,” a love letter to the French cinematic movement known as the New Wave, is leading the race at the Cesar Awards, France’s equivalent to the Oscars, with 10 nominations.
The black-and-white movie, which world premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, previously won a raft prizes at the Lumiere Awards. It’s nominated for best film, director, original screenplay, cinematography, male newcomer for Jean-Luc Godard-lookalike Guillaume Marbeck, as well as editing, sound, original score and costume design. An homage to Godard’s cult 1960 movie “Breathless” that revives the New Wave era in 1960’s Paris, Linklater’s film was acquired by Netflix at Cannes and was shortlisted to represent France in the Oscar race, but Jafar Panahi’s politically charged “It Was Just an Accident” was ultimately chosen by the French Oscar committee.
Other strong Cesar contenders include Carine Tardieu’s intimate drama “L’attachement,” Dominik Moll’s procedural “Case 137,” set during France’s yellow vests protests and Stéphane Demoustier’s “The Great Arch,” a historical drama starring Claes Bang, with eight nominations each. They’re followed by Hafsia Herzi’s queer coming-of-age story “The Little Sister,” which is in the running with seven noms, and Thierry Kliffa’s “The Richest Woman in the World,” a film loosely based on the 2010 Bettencourt Affair and starring Isabelle Huppert, with six nominations. “Arco,” Ugo Bienvenu’s poetic animated feature produced by Natalie Portman is nominated for four Cesar Awards, alongside Francois Ozon‘s “The Stranger,” an adaptation of Albert Camus’ classic.
The best director category showcases two female helmers: Tardieu, whose film “L’attachement” opened at Venice in 2024 and stars Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Pio Marmaï; and Herzi, whose drama “The Little Sister” picked up best actress at Cannes for Nadia Melliti, as well as the Louis Delluc Prize from French critics. Linklater, Demoustier and Moll round up the category.
“It Was Just an Accident,” meanwhile, is nominated for best film and best original screenplay. While Panahi’s movie shot in Persian, it was produced in France and as such is eligible in that category. Previous non-French-language movies which earned a best film nomination include “Mustang,” “The Pianist,” “Emilia Perez” and “Sils Maria.” Also nominated for best film this year are “L’attachement,” “Case 137,” “Nouvelle Vague” and “The Little Sister.”
The best actress category looks fiercely competitive with Huppert vying for a Cesar Award for her colorful performance in “The Richest Woman in the World,” alongside Leila Bekhti for “Once Upon My Mother,” Lea Drucker for “Case 137,” Valeria Bruni Tedeschi for “L’attachement” and Melanie Thierry for “La chambre de Mariana.”
Bang is nominated for his part in “The Great Arch” as real-life Danish architect Otto von Spreckelsen, who won an open-call competition launched by French president François Mitterrand in 1982 and came to Paris to spearhead the epic project. The other leading actors nominated are Laurent Lafitte for his part opposite Huppert in “The Richest Woman in the World;” Bastien Bouillon in “Leave One Day;” Benjamin Voisin in “The Stranger;” and Pio Marmai in “L’attachement.”
“The Great Arch” also landed three supporting actor nominations for Swan Arlaud, Michel Fau and Xavier Dolan.
Another breakout is “Nino” which garnered a best first film nom for Pauline Loquès, best male newcomer for Théodore Pellerin, and best supporting actress for Jeanne Balibar.
In the best international feature section, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Once Battle After Another” will face off against Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” and Oliver Laxe’s “Sirat,” alongside Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “The Secret Agent” and Guan Hu’s “Black Dog.”
Aside from Lido alumni “L’attachement” and “The Stranger,” all the Cesar Awards frontrunners this year world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
As previously announced, French star Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent“) will host the ceremony on Feb. 26 at the Olympia theater in Paris, where Jim Carrey will receive the honorary Cesar Award, succeeding Julia Roberts.
Nominations for the 51st Cesar Awards are:
Best Film
“L’attachement”
“Case 137”
“Nouvelle Vague”
“The Little Sister”
“It Was Just an Accident”
Best Director
Carine Tardieu, “L’attachement”
Dominik Moll, “Case 137”
Stéphane Demoustier, “The Great Arch”
Richard Linklater, “Nouvelle Vague”
Hafsia Herzi, “The Little Sister”
Best Actress
Leïla Bekhti, “Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan”
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, “L’attachement”
Léa Drucker, “Case 137”
Isabelle Huppert, “The Richest Woman in the World”
Mélanie Thierry, “La Chambre de Mariana”
Best Actor
Claes Bang, “The Great Arch”
Bastien Bouillon, “Leave One Day”
Laurent Lafitte, “The Richest Woman in the World”
Pio Marmaï, “L’attachement”
Benjamin Voisin, “The Stranger”
Best Supporting Actress
Jeanne Balibar, “Nino”
Dominique Blanc, “Partir Un Jour”
Marina Foïs, “The Richest Woman in the World”
Ji-Min Park, “La Petite Dernière
Vimala Pons, “L’attachement”
Best Supporting Actor
Swann Arlaud, “The Great Arch”
Xavier Dolan, “The Great Arch”
Michel Fau, “The Great Arch”
Pierre Lottin, “The Stranger”
Raphaël Personnaz, “The Richest Women in the World”
Best Female Newcomer
Manon Clavel, “Kika”
Suzanne Lindon, “La Venue de l’Avenir”
Nadia Melliti, “La Petite Dernière”
Camille Rutherford, “Jane Austen a Gâché Ma Vie”
Anja Verderosa, “L’Épreuve du Feu”
Best Male Newcomer
Idir Azougli, “Météors”
Sayyid El Alami, “La Pampa”
Félix Lefebvre, “L’Épreuve du Feu”
Guillaume Marbeck, “Nouvelle Vague”
Théodore Pellerin, “Nino”
Best Original Screenplay
Dominik Moll, Gilles Marchand, “Case 137”
Pauline Loquès, “Nino”
Holly Gent, Vince Palma, “Nouvelle Vague”
Franck Dubosc, Sarah Kaminsky, “Un Ours Dans le Jura”
Jafar Panahi, “It Was Just an Accident”
Best Adapted Screenplay
Carine Tardieu, Raphaëlle Moussafir, Agnès Feuvre, “L’attachement”
Stéphane Demoustier, “The Great Arch”
Hafsia Herzi, “The Little Sister”
Best International Film
“The Secret Agent,” Kleber Mendonça Filho
“Black Dog,” Guan Hu
“Sirât,” Oliver Laxe
“One Battle After Another,” Paul Thomas Anderson
“Sentimental Value,” Joachim Trier
Best Original Score
Arnaud Toulon, “Arco”
Olivier Marguerit, “Case 137”
Fatima Al Qadiri, “The Stranger”
Alex Beaupain, “The Richest Woman in the World”
Amine Bouhafa, “The Little Sister”
Best Sound
“Arco”
“Le Chant des Forêts”
“Case 137”
“Nouvelle Vague”
“Leave One Day”
Best Cinematography
Elin Kirschfink, “L’attachement”
Patrick Ghiringhelli, “Case 137”
Marine Atlan, “L’Engloutie”
Manu Dacosse, “The Stranger”
David Chambille, “Nouvelle Vague
Best Editing
Stan Collet, “13 Jours, 13 Nuits”
Christel Dewynter, “L’attachement”
Laurent Rouan, “Case 137”
Catherine Schwartz, “Nouvelle Vague”
Géraldine Mangenot, “The Little Sister”
Best Costume Design
Céline Guignard, “La Condition”
Corinne Bruand, “Dracula”
Jürgen Doering, “The Richest Woman in the World”
Pascaline Chavanne, “Nouvelle Vague”
Pierre-Yves Gayraud, “La Venue de l’Avenir”
Best Production Design
Jean-Philippe Moreaux, “Dog 51”
Catherine Cosme, “L’Inconnu de la Grande Arche”
Riton Dupire-Clément, “Once Upon My Mother”
Katia Wyszkop, “Nouvelle Vague”
Marie Cheminel, “La Venue de l’Avenir”
Best Visual Effects
Cédric Fayolle, “Dog 51”
Rodolphe Chabrier, Benoît de Longlée, “L’Homme qui Rétrécit”
Lise Fischer, “The Great Arch”
Alain Carsoux, “Nouvelle Vague”
