Since 1993, no French feature film has won the prize for best foreign film. The Ministry of Culture has changed the commission responsible for selecting the French film to increase its chances of leaving with the trophy.
Article written by
Posted
Update
Reading time : 1 min.
An update was starting to be needed. Already thirty years that France returned empty-handed from the ceremony of the Oscars. For the Ministry of Culture, it is too much. So to restore the image of French cinema in the eyes of the Academy Awards, it is time to review the rules for selecting French films candidates for the statuette of the best foreign film.
And more specifically, to rethink the composition of the commission responsible for choosing the film that will represent the tricolor internationally. From now on, the members of right – either the general delegate of the Cannes Film Festival, the president of the Académie des César and the president of Unifrance – will no longer be part of the jury.
From now on, it will be up to the Ministry of Culture to appoint the members of this commission, which is made up of two producers, two directors, two exporters and – for the first time – a personality with some expertise in the field of cinema. If the final decision is not up to them, other people such as the presidents of the CNC and Unifrance will still be able to attend the sessions as observers.
This reform reflects a desire to increase the chances of French films winning the Oscar for best foreign film. It must be said that since Indochina by Régis Wargnier in 1993, France systematically returns empty-handed from Los Angeles. And that, when she has the chance to be nominated by the American academy. For example, over the past twelve years, only three films presented by France have been selected: Wretched of Ladj Ly in 2020, Mustang by Deniz Gamze Ergüven in 2016 and A prophet by Jacques Audiard in 2010.
This is not the first time that the French commission has reviewed its selection rules. In 2020, the academy had in particular relaxed its eligibility criteria because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the closure of cinemas by authorizing French films only released on VOD or abroad to be able to apply for a ticket. for the country of Uncle Sam.