France has narrowed its field of contenders for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards to five titles, the country's national film board, the CNC, announced Thursday. The shortlist includes Andrey Zvyagintsev's Cannes Grand Prize winner «Minotaur» and Antonin Baudry's World War II-set political biopic «The Battle of De Gaulle: The Iron Age».
The selection places two high-profile festival titles at the center of France's campaign for the international Oscar. «Minotaur», directed by Zvyagintsev, earned the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, a significant honor that often signals strong awards-season potential. Baudry's «The Battle of De Gaulle: The Iron Age» brings a historical and political dimension to the list, focusing on the wartime leadership of Charles de Gaulle.
The CNC, France's national center for cinema and the moving image, oversees the country's official selection process for the international feature race. The five finalists were chosen from a wider pool of French productions and will now advance to the next stage of consideration, where a final decision will determine which single film represents France at the Academy Awards.
France is a perennial powerhouse in the Best International Feature Film category, having submitted films for decades and secured numerous nominations and wins. The country's cinematic output is closely watched by awards pundits, and its shortlist announcement is typically one of the most anticipated moments in the run-up to the Oscars. The final submission will compete against entries from dozens of other countries, each selected by their respective national film bodies.
The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in 2027, honoring films released in the 2026 calendar year. The international feature category requires each participating country to submit one film, which must meet eligibility criteria set by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, including a qualifying theatrical release in its home country.
While the shortlist features two prominent titles, the CNC has not yet indicated when the final selection will be made or which film is considered the frontrunner. The remaining three titles on the shortlist have not been detailed in the initial announcement, but their inclusion reflects the diversity of French cinema in contention this year.
The announcement comes as several other countries begin to reveal their own Oscar submissions. Japan, for instance, has selected Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Parisian drama «All of a Sudden» for the 2027 international feature race, a film that premiered at Cannes and won a Best Actress prize for its stars, Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto. France's decision will be closely compared with these international picks as the awards season unfolds.
For now, the five French finalists represent a mix of critical acclaim and historical storytelling, setting the stage for a competitive internal selection process. The eventual choice will carry the hopes of the French film industry onto the global stage at the Academy Awards.