Elle and Frantz battle for Césars

More nominations for Elle with Isabelle Huppert in the Césars Photo: UniFrance

The organisers of France’s equivalent of the Oscars, the Césars, today announced this year's contenders, which include Paul Verhoeven’s Elle with 11 nominations (the same tally as François Ozon’s Frantz) and nine nominations for Bruno Dumont’s Slack Bay (Ma Loute).

The 42nd edition of the Césars sees Isabelle Huppert, in the best actress category for Elle, score her 16th nomination although she has won only once - for Claude Chabrol’s La Cérémonie. The accolade follows on her best actress Oscar nomination and her Golden Globes win as well as accolades such as the French Cinema Award and the London Critics’ Circle nod. Among her rivals are Marion Cotillard for Mal De Pierres, Virginia Efira for Victoria, and Borgen star Sidse Babett Knudsen for La Fille De Brest.

Vying for best film are Elle, Frantz, and Slack Bay as well as Anne Fontaine’s The Innocents (Les Innocentes); Justine Triet’s Victoria and Houda Benyamina’s Divines. Divines with Oulaya Amamra and Deborah Lukumuena as two friends determined to make money fast, bowed in the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, and is considered a strong contender with seven nominations.

All will be revealed at a ceremony on 24 February.

Nominations include:-

Best film

• Divines - Houda Benyamina
• Elle - Paul Verhoeven
• Frantz - François Ozon
• The Innocents (Les Innocentes) - Anne Fontaine
• Slack Bay (Ma Loute) - Bruno Dumont
• From The Land Of The Moon (Mal De Pierres) - Nicole Garcia
• Victoria - Justine Triet

Best director

• Houda Benyamina - Divines
• Paul Verhoeven - Elle
• François Ozon - Frantz
• Anne Fontaine - The Innocents (Les Innocentes)
• Xavier Dolan - It's Only The End Of The World (Juste La Fin Du Monde)
• Bruno Dumont - Slack Bay (Ma Loute)
• Nicole Garcia - From The Land Of The Moon (Mal De Pierres)

Best actress

• Judith Chemla - A Woman's Life (Une Vie)
• Marion Cotillard - From The Land Of The Moon (Mal De Pierres)
• Virgine Efira - Victoria
• Marina Foïs - Irréprochable
• Isabelle Huppert - Elle
• Sidse Babett Knudsen - 150 Milligrams (La Fille De Brest)
• Soko - The Dancer (La Danseuse)

Best actor

• François Cluzet - Irreplaceable (Médecin De Campagne)
• Pierre Deladomchamps - A Kid (Le Fils De Jean)
• Nicolas Duvauchelle - A Decent Man (Je Ne Suis Pas Un Salaud)
• Fabrice Luchini - Slack Bay (Ma Loute)
• Pierre Niney - Frantz
• Omar Sy - Chocolat
• Gaspard Uliel - It's Only The End Of The World (Juste La Fin Du Monde)

Best female newcomer

• Oulaya Amamra - Divines
• Paula Beer - Frantz
• Lily-Rose Depp - The Dancer (La Danseuse)
• Noémie Merlant - Heaven Will Wait (Le Ciel Attendra)
• Raph - Slack Bay (Ma Loute)

Best male newcomer

• Damien Bonnard - Staying Vertical (Rester Vertical)
• Niels Schneider - Dark Inclusion (Diamant Noir)
• Corentin Fila - Being 17 (Quand On A 17 Ans)
• Karey Mottet Klein - Being 17 (Quand On A 17 Ans)
• Jonas Bloquet - Elle

Best supporting actor

• Vincent Lacoste - Victoria
• Melvil Poupaud - Victoria
• Laurent Lafitte - Elle
• James Thierrée - Chocolat
• Gabriel Arcand - A Kid (Le Fils De Jean)
• Vincent Cassel - It's Only The End Of The World (Juste La Fin Du Monde)

Best supporting actress

• Nathalie Baye - It's Only The End Of The World (Juste La Fin Du Monde)
• Valeria Bruni Tedeschi - Slack Bay (Ma Loute)
• Anne Consigny - Elle
• Déborah Lukumuena - Divines
• Mélanie Thierry - The Dancer (La Danseuse)

Best animation feature

• The Girl Without Hands (La Jeune Fille Sans Mains) - Sébastien Laudenbach
• My Life As A Courgette (Ma Vie De Courgette) - Claude Barras
• The Red Turtle (La Tortue Rouge) - Michael Dudok de Wik

Best first film

• Cigarettes Et Chocolat Chaud - Sophie Reine
• The Dancer (La Danseuse) - Stéphanie di Giusto
• Dark Inclusion (Diamant Noir) - Arthur Harari
• Divines - Houda Benyamina
• Rosalie Blum - Julien Rappeneau

Best documentary

• Latest News From The Cosmos (Dernières Nouvelles Du Cosmos) - Julie Bertucelli
• Fire At Sea (Fuocammare, Par-delà Lampedusa) - Gianfranco Rosi
• Thanks Boss! (Merci Patron!) - François Rufin
• Swagger - Olivier Babinet
• A Journey Through French Cinema - Bertrand Tavernier

Read the full list of nominees and winners here