As a cinephile with a penchant for international cinema, I can’t help but feel a surge of excitement at the prospect of Jacques Audiard’s latest masterpiece, “Emilia Pérez,” representing France in the 2025 Oscar race. With a pedigree that includes “A Prophet,” “Rust and Bone,” and “The Sisters Brothers,” Audiard has proven himself a master of genre-jumping films that resonate deeply with audiences.
France has chosen the quirky crime musical “Emilia Pérez” directed by Jacques Audiard to represent it in the 2025 Academy Awards competition within the Best International Feature Film category.
Actresses Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz join forces with Spanish trans actress Karla Sofia Gascón in an eclectic film. The plot revolves around a Mexican drug lord character portrayed by Gascón, who seeks the assistance of a lawyer (Saldaña) to facilitate gender-affirming surgery.
Emilia Pérez made its debut at Cannes Film Festival, earning both the Jury Prize and a shared award for Best Actress among the entire cast.
Jacques Audiard has previously been nominated for an Oscar in 2009, with his nominated film being “A Prophet”. His body of work also includes movies like “Rust and Bone” from 2012, “The Sisters Brothers” released in 2018, and “Dheepan”, which was made in 2015.
Historically, France has often contended for top honors in the international feature film competition and has clinched victory on 12 occasions. However, it’s been over three decades since the country that pioneered cinema last received this award, with Régis Wargnier’s Indochine being the last winner in 1992. In more recent years, France has missed out on nominations, as films like last year’s entry, The Taste of Things, and this year’s pick, Titane, didn’t make it to the final round.
The French Oscar selection committee has faced criticism to change their pattern, especially following their decision to choose “The Taste of Things,” a culinary period romance by Tran Anh Hung, over Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winning film and cross-genre success “Anatomy of a Fall.” This selection, despite earning five Oscar nominations and one win for best original screenplay, has sparked debate.
The deadline for submissions for the 96th Oscars is Nov. 14. The shortlist for best international feature contenders will be announced Dec. 17. Nominations will be announced Jan. 17, 2025. The 2025 Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 2.
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2024-09-18 21:04