The 5 French films selected to compete in 2026 Oscars

The American filmmaker Richard Linklater and the Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi could represent France for the statuette of the best international film, in 2026.

France has unveiled the list of five preselected films to represent the country in the Oscar race for the best international film – which was formerly called the best foreign film – for the 2026 ceremony. The commission responsible for the selection gathered yesterday at the National Center for Cinema and the Animated Image (CNC). And at the end of this meeting, she preselected, among the films which had brought candidates, the following 5 works (in alphabetical order)!

• Arco from Ugo welcome (production: Remembers and Mountain A), animated film produced and doubled by Natalie Portman

• The little last From Hafsia Herzi (production: June), an initiation drama revealed in Cannes, where Nadia Melliti won the female interpretation prize.

• New wave by Richard Linklater (Production: ARP), love letter to the French cinema of the 1950s and 60s

• A simple accident From Jafar Panahi (Production: Les Films Pelléas), Palme d’Or à Cannes, turned into exile with the support of French producers

• Privacy by Rebecca Zlotowski (Production: Les Films Velvet) carried by Jodie Foster and presented in Cannes

A selection that risks arouse a lot of debates. Because the two potential favorites – New wave et A simple accident – are not carried out by French filmmakers, which raises the questions of their legitimacy. However, according to the rules of the Academy, the two essential criteria for contributing to the Oscar for the best international film are: the predominance of a non-English language and creative control mainly ensured by professionals in the tendering country. And not the nationality of the director. In this case, if New wave is produced by the American Richard Linklater, it was produced in France (by Laurent Pétin et Michèle Halberstadt) and shot in French. As of A simple accidentif it was shot in Farsi and Arabic in difficult conditions, under government restrictions, it was produced with the French producer Philippe Martin (Pelléas films).

As of Wednesday, September 17, 2025, the Commission will meet again to audition producers, international sellers and, if necessary, the distributors, to designate the film which will represent France in the OSCAR race for the best international film 2026.

The American academy will unveil a first shortlist of 15 foreign films, on December 16, a few weeks before official appointments (where 5 films should be retained).

Recall that last year, France was favorite and had lost with Emilia Pérezfaced with I’m still there by Walter Salles (Brazil), after the enormous controversy over the tweets of Karla Sofía Gascón. One more hiccup after the non-selection ofAnatomy of a fall of Justine Triet in 2023. The last French victory in the category dates back to 1993 with Indochina of Régis Wargnier.