The 51st César Awards will take place on February 26, 2026, at the Olympia Theatre, and as every year, the competition promises to be fierce! Here’s the list of films vying for the prestigious honors.
Every year, the César ceremony celebrates the best of French cinema, rewarding the artists, directors and technicians who have made their mark over the year. Created in 1976, this prestigious event is the French equivalent of the American Oscars, and honors the diversity and excellence of the seventh art. With over a dozen categories, the César awards spotlight works that have won over both critics and audiences alike.
The César nominations are unveiled a few weeks before the ceremony, and are always the subject of lively debate. Among the most eagerly awaited awards, the César for Best Film honors a work that has marked the year by its originality and impact. The César for Best Actor and Best Actress reward outstanding performances, while Best Director highlights the vision and talent behind the camera. Other categories, such as Best Screenplay, Best Music and Best Animated Film, testify to the richness of French cinema.
The evening is also an opportunity to celebrate up-and-coming talent, with the César awards for Best Actress and Best Actor, showcasing promising young actors. Whether poignant dramas, irresistible comedies or gripping thrillers, the award-winning films reflect the diversity and creativity of French cinema.
Beyond the awards themselves, the César Awards are a time for celebration, bringing together industry professionals and offering viewers a glimpse of the year's must-see works. Each year, the ceremony confirms its essential role in showcasing France's cinematic heritage and promoting the talents of today and tomorrow.
César, Oscars 2026: Explore Our Reviews of the Nominees
The nominations for the most important ceremonies in the world of French and American cinema have been announced. Whether it's for the Césars or the Oscars, most of the films mentioned have been reviewed on Sortiraparis. Check out our reviews! [Read more]
The Nominee List for the 2026 César Awards
Summary: Nouvelle Vague tops the list with 10 nominations, followed closely by L’Attachement, Dossier 137, and L’Inconnu de la Grande Arche, with 8 nominations each.
Best Film
- L’Attachement — produced by Fabrice Goldstein and Antoine Rein — directed by Carine Tardieu
- Dossier 137 — produced by Caroline Benjo, Barbara Letellier, and Carole Scotta — directed by Dominik Moll
- Nouvelle Vague — produced by Michèle Pétin and Laurent Pétin — directed by Richard Linklater
- La Petite Dernière — produced by Julie Billy and Naomi Denamur — directed by Hafsia Herzi
- Un simple accident — produced by Philippe Martin — directed by Jafar Panahi
Note: The five films nominated for Best Film at the César are also in the running for the César des Lycéens, judged by 2,517 high school students.
Best Director
- Carine Tardieu for Attachment
- Dominik Moll for File 137
- Stéphane Demoustier for The Unknown of La Grande Arche
- Richard Linklater for New Wave
- Hafsia Herzi for The Little One
Best Actress
Best Actor
- Claes Bang (The Unknown Woman of the Grande Arche)
- Bastien Bouillon (Partir un jour)
- Laurent Lafitte (The Richest Woman in the World)
- Pio Marmaï (The Attachment)
- Benjamin Voisin (The Stranger)
Best Supporting Actress
- Jeanne Balibar (Nino)
- Dominique Blanc (Partir un jour)
- Marina Foïs (The Richest Woman in the World)
- Ji-Min Park (The Youngest Child)
- Vimala Pons (The Attachment)
Best Supporting Actor
- Swann Arlaud (The Stranger at the Grande Arche)
- Xavier Dolan (The Stranger at the Grande Arche)
- Michel Fau (The Stranger at the Grande Arche)
- Pierre Lottin (The Outsider)
- Raphaël Personnaz (The Richest Woman in the World)
Best Female Newcomer
Best Male Breakthrough Performance
- Idir Azougli (Meteors)
- Sayyid El Alami (La Pampa)
- Félix Lefebvre (The Trial by Fire)
- Guillaume Marbeck (New Wave)
- Théodore Pellerin (Nino)
Best Original Screenplay
- Dominik Moll, Gilles Marchand for Dossier 137
- Pauline Loquès for Nino
- Holly Gent, Vince Palmo for New Wave
- Franck Dubosc, Sarah Kaminsky for A Bear in the Jura
- Jafar Panahi for A Simple Accident
Best fit
- Carine Tardieu, Raphaële Moussafir, Agnès Feuvre for Attachment
- Stéphane Demoustier for The Stranger by the Arc de Triomphe
- Hafsia Herzi for The Youngest
Best Original Score
- Arnaud Toulon for Arco
- Olivier Marguerit for Dossier 137
- Fatima Al Qadiri for The Stranger
- Alex Beaupain for The Richest Woman in the World
- Amine Bouhafa for The Little One
Best Sound
- Nicolas Becker, Andrea Ferrera, Damien Lazzerini for Arco
- Romain Cadilhac, Marc Namblard, Olivier Touche, Olivier Goinard for Le Chant des forêts
- François Maurel, Rym Debbarh-Mounir, Nathalie Vidal for Dossier 137
- Jean Minondo, Serge Rouquairol, Christophe Vingtrinier for Nouvelle Vague
- Rémi Chanaud, Jeanne Delplanq, Fanny Martin, Nels Barletta for Partir un jour
Best Photo
- Elin Kirschfink for The Attachment
- Patrick Ghiringhelli for File 137
- Marine Atlan for The Sunken Place
- Manu Dacosse for The Stranger
- David Chambille for New Wave
Best Editing
- Stan Collet for 13 Days, 13 Nights
- Christel Dewynter for Attachment
- Laurent Rouan for Case 137
- Catherine Schwartz for New Wave
- Géraldine Mangenot for The Little Last One
Best Costumes
- Céline Guignard for The Condition
- Corinne Bruand for Dracula
- Jürgen Doering for The Wealthiest Woman in the World
- Pascaline Chavanne for New Wave
- Pierre-Yves Gayraud for The Arrival of the Future
Best sets
- Jean-Philippe Moreaux for Chien 51
- Catherine Cosme for The Unknown of La Grande Arche
- Riton Dupire-Clément for My Mother, God, and Sylvie Vartan
- Katia Wyszkop for New Wave
- Marie Cheminal for The Promise of the Future
Best Visual Effects
- Cédric Fayolle for Chien 51
- Rodolphe Chabrier, Benoît de Longlée for The Shrinking Man
- Lise Fischer for L’Inconnu de la Grande Arche
- Alain Carsoux for New Wave
Best Animated Film
- Amélie and the Metaphysics of Tubes — directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han — produced by Nidia Santiago, Edwina Liard, Claire La Combe, Henri Magalon
- Arco — directed by Ugo Bienvenu — produced by Félix de Givry, Ugo Bienvenu, Sophie Mas, and Natalie Portman
- My Castle Life: Growing Up in Versailles — directed by Clémence Madeleine-Perdrillat and Nathaniel H’Lim — produced by Lionel Massol
Best Documentary Film
- On a Bicycle! — directed by Mathias Mlekuz — produced by Jean-Louis Livi, Marc-Etienne Schwartz
- The Song of the Forests — directed by Vincent Munier — produced by Pierre-Emmanuel Fleurantin, Laurent Baujard, Vincent Munier
- The Fifth Plan of the Jetty — directed by Dominique Cabrera — produced by Fadma Edroszali, Caroline Glorion
- No One Understands Anything — directed by Yannick Kergoat — produced by Gabrielle Juhlel, Valentina Novati
- Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk — directed by Sepideh Farsi — produced by Javad Djavahery
Best First Film
- Arco — directed by Ugo Bienvenu — produced by Félix de Givry, Ugo Bienvenu, Sophie Mas, and Natalie Portman
- La Test of Fire — directed by Aurélien Peyre — produced by Bruno Levy
- Nino — directed by Pauline Loquès — produced by Sandra da Fonseca
- La Pampa — directed by Antoine Chevrollier — produced by Nicolas Blanc
- Partir un jour — directed by Amélie Bonnin — produced by Bastien Daret, Arthur Goisset Mohamed, Robin Robles, Sylvie Pialat, and Benoît Quainon
Best Foreign Film
Best Animated Short Film
- Les Belles Cicatrices — directed by Raphaël Jouzeau — produced by Francesca Bettini-Barnes and Charlotte Vande Vyvre
- God Is Shy — directed by Jocelyn Charles — produced by Félix de Givry, Ugo Bienvenu, and Josephine Mancini
- Fille de l’eau — directed by Sandra Desmazières — produced by Jérôme Barthélémy, Daniel Sauvage, and Olivier Catherin
Best Documentary Short Film
- Au bain des dames — directed by Margaux Fournier — produced by Laureen Bolton and Audrey Smadja Iritz
- Car Wash — directed by Laïs Decaster — produced by Nathan Jactel and Gabrielle Voigt
- Ni Dieu ni Père — directed by Paul Kermarec — produced by Stéphane Marchal and Nelson Ghrénassia
Best Fiction Short Film
- Big Boys Don’t Cry — directed by Arnaud Delmarle — produced by Anne Luthaud and Joanna Stkiwoska
- Two People Exchanging Saliva — directed by Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh — produced by Valentina Merli and Violeta Kreimer
- Death of an Actor — directed by Ambroise Rateau — produced by Lucas Tothe and Jessica Arfuso
- Wonderwall — directed by Roísín Burns — produced by Mathilde Delaunay
César, Oscars 2026: Explore Our Reviews of the Nominees
