Cerermony - 51st César Awards: L’Attachement, Dossier 137, and Nouvelle Vague lead the pack in a very cinephile 2026 vintage

By Mulder, 28 january 2026

The 51st César Awards, organized by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, is already shaping up to be one of the major cultural events of 2026, with an edition that fully embraces a demanding artistic vision and an open-minded approach to the world. The official nominations, announced on January 28, 2026, confirm a particularly dense selection, marked by a strong presence of auteur cinema, intimate stories, and socially conscious works, while leaving notable space for more popular but still demanding films. The ceremony will be held on February 26, 2026, in Paris, rewarding films released in France in 2025, and will be presided over by Camille Cottin, whose popularity and intelligent acting perfectly embody this desire to bring together the different families of French cinema. The choice of Benjamin Lavernhe as master of ceremonies is in line with this approach: an actor appreciated for his finesse, elegant humor, and sense of community, already noted for his ability to navigate between comedy, theater, and auteur cinema, a balance that seems to be the common thread of this edition.

The Best Film category alone illustrates the richness of the 2025 vintage, with five very different works united by a genuine ambition in terms of direction and writing. L'Attachement by Carine Tardieu, produced by Fabrice Goldstein and Antoine Rein, stands out as a deeply human film, often cited in critical debates for its emotional accuracy and its take on contemporary emotional bonds. Dossier 137 by Dominik Moll, produced by Caroline Benjo, Barbara Letellier, and Carole Scotta, continues the filmmaker's rigorous work on the gray areas of justice and morality, in a vein reminiscent of his previous works while gaining in radicalism. Nouvelle Vague by Richard Linklater, produced by Michèle Pétin and Laurent Pétin, stands out as a self-confessed cinephile's dream, a true declaration of love for European cinema and formal freedom, while La Petite Dernière by Hafsia Herzi, produced by Julie Billy and Naomi Denamur, confirms the director as one of the most sensitive and political voices of her generation. Finally, Jafar Panahi's A Simple Accident, produced by Philippe Martin, stands out as a powerful cinematic gesture, whose symbolic significance goes far beyond the realm of fiction, reminding us how attentive the César Awards remain to the great figures of world cinema.

The acting categories also reflect a particularly high standard, with performances acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. In the Best Actor category, Claes Bang impresses in the role of Johan Otto von Spreckelsen in L'Inconnu de la Grande Arche, Bastien Bouillon continues his rise with Partir un jour, Laurent Lafitte surprises with his performance in La Femme la plus riche du monde, Pio Marmaï touches with his restraint in L'Attachement, and Benjamin Voisin takes on the delicate challenge of playing Meursault in L'Étranger. The competition for Best Actress is just as fierce, with Leïla Bekhti, who is deeply moving in Ma mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Léa Drucker, Isabelle Huppert, and Mélanie Thierry, each offering a very different take on female power on screen. The supporting roles and revelations confirm the emergence of a new generation, with names such as Guillaume Marbeck in the role of Jean-Luc Godard and Nadia Melliti, already cited as one of the great revelations of the year, while the presence of Xavier Dolan and Jeanne Balibar recalls the continuity between heritage and renewal.

On a technical level, these nominations reflect a particular focus on the behind-the-scenes professions that are often crucial to the artistic success of films. The cinematography of Elin Kirschfink, Patrick Ghiringhelli, and Manuel Dacosse, the set design of Catherine Cosme and Katia Wyszkop, the costumes by Pascaline Chavanne and Jürgen Döring, not to mention the original music by Alex Beaupain, Fatima Al Qadiri, and Amine Bouhafa, make up an impressive panorama of French and international expertise. The animation and documentary categories also confirm the vitality of these formats, with works such as Arco by Ugo Bienvenu and Le Chant des forêts by Vincent Munier, often cited as sensory as well as narrative experiences, capable of reaching an audience far beyond specialist circles.

Finally, the announcement of the Honorary César Award to Jim Carrey adds a touch of surprise and emotion to this edition, saluting an international career marked by a rare freedom of performance, an ability to move from the most physical comedy to introspective drama, and a lasting influence on several generations of viewers and filmmakers. This choice, widely praised on social media and in professional circles, confirms the César Awards' desire to open up more to global figures while remaining deeply rooted in the defense of cinema as an art form. With one month to go before the ceremony, this 51st edition is already shaping up to be a highlight, with the winners set to be closely scrutinized as the nominations reflect a rich, pluralistic, and resolutely vibrant state of cinema.

Best Film
L'Attachement by Carine Tardieu, produced by Fabrice Goldstein and Antoine Rein
Dossier 137 by Dominik Moll, produced by Caroline Benjo, Barbara Letellier, and Carole Scotta
Nouvelle Vague by Richard Linklater, produced by Michèle Pétin and Laurent Pétin
La Petite Dernière by Hafsia Herzi, produced by Julie Billy and Naomi Denamur
A Simple Accident by Jafar Panahi, produced by Philippe Martin

Best Director
Carine Tardieu for L'Attachement
Dominik Moll for Dossier 137
Stéphane Demoustier for L'Inconnu de la Grande Arche
Richard Linklater for Nouvelle Vague
Hafsia Herzi for La Petite Dernière

Best Actor
Claes Bang for the role of Johan Otto von Spreckelsen in L'Inconnu de la Grande Arche
Bastien Bouillon for the role of Raphaël Tenreiro in Partir un jour
Laurent Lafitte for the role of Pierre-Alain Fantin in La Femme la plus riche du monde
Pio Marmaï for the role of Alexandre “Alex” Perthuis in L'Attachement
Benjamin Voisin for the role of Meursault in The Stranger

Best Actress
Leïla Bekhti for the role of Esther Perez in My Mother, God and Sylvie Vartan
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi for the role of Sandra Ferney in The Attachment
Léa Drucker for the role of Stéphanie Bertrand in File 137
Isabelle Huppert for her role as Marianne Farrère in The Richest Woman in the World
Mélanie Thierry for her role as Mariana in Mariana's Room

Best Supporting Actor
Swann Arlaud for his role as Paul Andreu in The Unknown Man of the Grande Arche
Xavier Dolan for his role as Jean-Louis Subilon in The Unknown Man of the Grande Arche
Michel Fau for the role of François Mitterrand in The Unknown Man of the Grande Arche
Pierre Lottin for the role of Raymond Sintès in The Stranger
Raphaël Personnaz for the role of Jérôme Bonjean in The Richest Woman in the World

Best Supporting Actress
Jeanne Balibar for the role of Nino's mother in Nino
Dominique Blanc for the role of Fanfan Béguin in Partir un jour
Marina Foïs for the role of Frédérique Spielman in La Femme la plus riche du monde
Park Ji-Min for the role of Ji-Na in La Petite Dernière
Vimala Pons for the role of Emillia Demetriu in L'Attachement

Best Male Newcomer
Idir Azougli for the role of Daniel in Météors
Sayyid El Alami for the role of Willy in La Pampa
Félix Lefebvre for the role of Hugo in L'Épreuve du feu
Guillaume Marbeck for the role of Jean-Luc Godard in Nouvelle Vague
Théodore Pellerin for the role of Nino in Nino

Best Female Newcomer
Manon Clavel for her role as Kika in Kika
Suzanne Lindon for her role as Adèle Meunier in La Venue de l'avenir
Nadia Melliti for her role as Fatima in La Petite Dernière
Camille Rutherford for her role as Agathe Robinson in Jane Austen a gâché ma vie
Anja Verderosa for the role of Queen in L'Épreuve du feu

Best Original Screenplay
Dominik Moll and Gilles Marchand for Dossier 137
Pauline Loquès for Nino
Holly Gent and Vince Palmo for Nouvelle Vague
Franck Dubosc and Sarah Kaminsky for Un ours dans le Jura
Jafar Panahi for Un simple accident

Best Adaptation
Carine Tardieu, Agnès Feuvre, and Raphaële Moussafir for L'Attachement, based on the novel L'Intimité by Alice Ferney
Stéphane Demoustier for L'Inconnu de la Grande Arche, based on the novel La Grande Arche by Laurence Cossé
Hafsia Herzi for La Petite Dernière, based on the novel La Petite Dernière by Fatima Daas

Best Visual Effects
Cédric Fayolle for Dog 51
Rodolphe Chabrier and Benoît de Longlée for The Man Who Shrunk
Lise Fischer for The Stranger at the Grande Arche
Alain Carsoux for Nouvelle Vague

Best Costumes
Céline Guignard for La Condition
Corinne Bruand for Dracula
Jürgen Döring for The Richest Woman in the World
Pascaline Chavanne for Nouvelle Vague
Pierre-Yves Gayraud for The Coming of the Future

Best Production Design
Jean-Philippe Moreaux for Dog 51
Catherine Cosme for The Stranger at the Grande Arche
Riton Dupire-Clément for My Mother, God and Sylvie Vartan
Katia Wyszkop for The Last One
Marie Cheminal for The Coming of the Future

Best Cinematography
Elin Kirschfink for The Attachment
Patrick Ghiringhelli for File 137
Marine Atlan for The Engulfed
Manuel Dacosse for The Stranger
David Chambille for New Wave

Best Editing
Stan Collet for 13 Days, 13 Nights
Christel Dewynter for The Attachment
Laurent Rouan for File 137
Catherine Schwartz for New Wave
Géraldine Mangenot for The Little Last One

Best Sound
Nicolas Becker, Andrea Ferrera, and Damien Lazzerini for Arco
Romain Cadilhac, Marc Namblard, Olivier Touche, and Olivier Goinard for Le Chant des forêts
François Maurel, Rym Debbarh-Mounir, and Nathalie Vidal for Dossier 137
Jean Minondo, Serge Rouquairol, and Christophe Vingtrinier for Nouvelle Vague
Rémi Chanaud, Jeanne Delplancq, Fanny Martin, and Niels Barletta for Partir un jour

Best Original Music
Arnaud Toulon for Arco
Olivier Marguerit for Dossier 137
Fatima Al Qadiri for L'Étranger
Alex Beaupain for La Femme la plus riche du monde
Amine Bouhafa for La Petite Dernière

Best First Film
Arco by Ugo Bienvenu
L'Épreuve du feu by Aurélien Peyre
Nino by Pauline Loquès
La Pampa by Antoine Chevrollier
Partir un jour by Amélie Bonnin

Best Animated Film
Amélie et la Métaphysique des tubes by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han
Arco by Ugo Bienvenu
La Vie de château : Mon enfance à Versailles by Clémence Madeleine-Perdrillat and Nathaniel H'limi

Best Documentary Film
À bicyclette ! by Mathias Mlekuz, produced by Jean-Louis Livi and Marc-Étienne Schwartz
Le Chant des forêts by Vincent Munier, produced by Pierre-Emmanuel Fleurantin, Laurent Baujard, and Vincent Munier
Le Cinquième Plan de La Jetée by Dominique Cabrera, produced by Edmée Doroszlai and Caroline Glorion
Personne n'y comprend rien by Yannick Kergoat, produced by Gabrielle Juhel and Valentina Novati
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk by Sepideh Farsi, produced by Javad Djavahery

Best Foreign Film
L'Agent Secret by Kleber Mendonça Filho • Flag of Brazil Brazil, Flag of France France
Black Dog by Guan Hu • Flag of the People's Republic of China China
Sirāt by Oliver Laxe • Flag of Spain Spain and Flag of France France
Une bataille après l'autre by Paul Thomas Anderson • Flag of the United States United States
The Love Is Everywhere by Joachim Trier • Flag of Norway Norway, Flag of France France, Flag of Denmark Denmark, and Flag of Germany Germany

Best Live Action Short Film
Big Boys Don't Cry by Arnaud Delmarle
Two People Exchanging Saliva by Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh
Death of an Actor by Ambroise Rateau
Wonderwall by Róisín Burns

Best Animated Short Film
Les Belles Cicatrices by Raphaël Jouzeau
God Is Shy by Jocelyn Charles
Fille de l'eau by Sandra Desmazières

Best Documentary Short Film
Au bain des dames by Margaux Fournier
Car Wash by Laïs Decaster
Ni Dieu ni père by Paul Kermarec

High School César
L'Attachement by Carine Tardieu, produced by Fabrice Goldstein and Antoine Rein
Dossier 137 by Dominik Moll, produced by Caroline Benjo, Barbara Letellier, and Carole Scotta
Nouvelle Vague by Richard Linklater, produced by Michèle Pétin and Laurent Pétin
La Petite Dernière by Hafsia Herzi, produced by Julie Billy and Naomi Denamur
Un simple accident by Jafar Panahi, produced by Philippe Martin

Honorary César
Jim Carrey