France has chosen Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez as its official entry for the 2025 Oscars in the Best International Feature category. The film, a genre-blending queer crime musical, stars Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Spanish trans actress Karla Sofia Gascón. It tells the story of a Mexican drug lord, portrayed by Gascón, who seeks the help of a lawyer, played by Saldaña, to undergo gender-affirming surgery.
Emilia Pérez made a strong impression at Cannes, where it won the Jury Prize and earned a joint Best Actress award for its ensemble cast. This recognition at the film festivals adds to the film’s momentum as it enters the Oscar race.
Director Jacques Audiard is no stranger to the Oscars, having been nominated for A Prophet in 2009. His acclaimed filmography also includes titles like Rust and Bone (2012), The Sisters Brothers (2018), and Dheepan (2015).
France has a storied history in the Best International Feature category, winning 12 times. However, the last victory came in 1992 with Indochine. In recent years, French submissions like The Taste of Things and Titane failed to secure nominations, leading to criticism of the country’s selection process.
The decision to submit Emilia Pérez comes amid calls for the committee to choose more internationally appealing films. The deadline for submissions for the 96th Oscars is November 14, with the shortlist being announced on December 17. Nominations will be revealed on January 17, 2025, ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony on March 2. Emilia Pérez aims to break France’s recent Oscar dry spell.
Published - September 19, 2024 01:06 pm IST
