The 2025 Oscars highlight the prominence of French cinema, with Jacques Audiard's Emilia Perez leading the nominations. This year also marks a broader diversity in both storytelling and talent, with more non-American films gaining recognition.
The 2025 Oscars are marked by a strong presence of French cinema, with several films in contention in top categories. Among them, Emilia Perez by Jacques Audiard has set a record with 13 nominations, a rare feat for a non-English language film. This musical drama on gender transition has been praised for its cosmopolitan dimension, with sets evoking Mexico while being shot in Spain and sung in Spanish. Transgender actress Karla Sofia Gascon, who plays the lead role, has also made history with her nomination for Best Actress.
French Touch
This success comes in a context where French cinema continues to shine internationally. After the Oscar won the previous year by Anatomie d’une chute by Justine Triet, which had not won any statuettes in the other categories for which it was nominated, the French touch once again asserts itself in Hollywood. Audiard, who still remembers his first Oscar nomination with Un prophète in 2009, was particularly moved by the magnitude of Emilia Perez's nominations, noting that this double selection — Best Director and Best Film — represents a new kind of pressure but also a great source of pride for French cinema.
Alongside Jacques Audiard, Coralie Fargeat, with The Substance, is also nominated in the Best Director category. The first woman to receive this distinction in several years, Coralie Fargeat is part of a line of French directors who manage to captivate the Oscar jury. The Substance, an English-language horror film, has been praised for its meticulous direction and the return of actress Demi Moore, who makes her comeback in a crucial role. Coralie Fargeat emphasized that the French dimension of her film was not a central aspect of her work, preferring to focus on the essence of her story, but her background in elite schools like Sciences-Po and La Fémis has certainly influenced her.
Music, Voices, and Narrative
This year, the Oscars also reveal another facet of international cinema. There is a focus on musical films, with Emilia Perez, Wicked, and Un parfait inconnu among the most nominated works. These films have amassed an impressive total of 31 nominations, proving that music remains a powerful medium in cinematic art. It is worth noting that these films were performed by stars such as Ariana Grande and Timothée Chalamet.
This year’s Oscar nominations also mark a turning point regarding the diversity of voices and narratives. An increasing number of non-American films, such as Anora (Brazil) and Flow (Latvia), are among the nominees. The Brazilian film Je suis toujours là has also received nominations in three categories. This openness to diverse narratives is further reinforced by the recognition of foreign talents, with names like Yura Borisov (Russia), Fernanda Torres (Brazil), and Isabella Rossellini (Italy) among the acting nominations.
A Breath of Fresh Air
Meanwhile, the absence of some expected names, such as Denis Villeneuve for Dune: Part Two, surprised many critics. Yet, this selection reflects a breath of fresh air with the emergence of new faces in the Best Director category. Filmmakers like Brady Corbet (36), James Mangold (61), and Jacques Audiard (72) each bring a different but complementary perspective, thus enhancing the diversity of proposals this year.
Finally, the links between French cinema and the Cannes Film Festival continue to strengthen. Award-winning films at the festival, like Emilia Perez and Anora, continue to find recognition internationally, highlighting the increasingly dominant position of French cinema on the world stage. The selection of French films at the Oscars proves, once again, the lasting impact of French cinema, capable of asserting itself in the global film industry.
With AFP
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