25 French (Co)productions in the Running for the 2024 Oscar for Best International Film
By Jalalle Essalhi & Sandrine Neveux
This year, of the 92 films submitted by candidate countries for the Best International Film Oscar – and in addition to The Taste of Things, which represents France – 25 are French productions or co-productions, of which five are majority-French co-productions.
The presence of 25 French-produced or co-produced films, including five with a majority share, close the all-time record set in 2017 of 27 French co-productions, bears witness to the excellent vitality of the country’s international production companies, which are very involved in co-productions, some of which benefit from the CNC‘s Aide aux Cinémas du Monde fund dedicated to international co-productions.
The films competing for the statuette will be chosen in successive stages, with a first short-list (fifteen films) announced on December 21. The finalists will be announced on January 23. The award ceremony will take place on March 10.
All the French (co)-production films in the running for the 2024 Oscar for Best International Film:
The Taste of Things, the film chosen to represent France, has not been mentioned de facto.
French production companies are listed for each film, as well as international sales companies when French. Majority-French films are shown in bold.
Belgium: Omen by Baloji Tshiani • French producer: Special Touch Studios
Bhutan: The Monk and the Gun by Pawo Choyning Dorji • French producer: Films Boutique Production
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Excursion by Una Gunjak • French producer & intl. sales: Salaud Morisset
Burkina Faso: Sira by Apolline Traoré • French producer: Araucania Films, intl.sales: Wide
Chile: The Settlers by Felipe Galvez • French producer: Ciné-Sud Promotion, intl. sales: mk2 films
Colombia: A Male by Fabian Hernandez • French producer: In Vivo Films
Costa Rica: I Have Electric Dreams, by Valentina Maurel • French producer: Geko Films
Estonia: Smoke Sauna Sisterhood by Anna Hints • French producer: Kepler 22 Productions
Georgia: Citizen Saint by Tinatin Kajrishvili • French producer: Mandra Films
Iceland: Godland by Hlynur Pálmason • French producer: Maneki Films
Indonesia: Autobiography by Makbul Mubarak • French producer: In Vivo Films, intl. sales: Alpha Violet
Italy: The Captain by Matteo Garrone • French producer: Pathé Films
Jordan: Inshallah a Boy by Amjad Al Rasheed • French producer: Georges Films, intl. sales: Pyramide International
Kyrgyzstan: This Is What I Remember by Aktan Arym Kubat • French producer: Mandra Films
Malaysia: Tiger Stripes by Amanda Nell Eu • French producer: Still Moving
Mexico: Tótem by Lila Avilés • French producer & intl. sales: Alpha Violet
Mongolia: City of Wind by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir • French producer: Aurora Films, intl. sales: Best Friend Forever (BFF)
Palestine: Bye bye Tiberias by Lina Soualem • French producer: Beall Productions)
Portugal: Bad Living by João Canijo • French producer: Les Films de l’Après-Midi)
Romania: Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World by Radu Jude • French producer: Les Films d’Ici
Senegal: Banel & Adama by Ramata-Toulaye Sy • French producer: Take Shelter, La Chauve-Souris, intl. sales: Best Friend Forever (BFF)
Sudan: Goodbye Julia by Mohamed Kordofani • French producer: Dolce Vita Films
Tunisia: Four Daughters by Kaouther Ben Hania • French producer: Tanit Films, intl. sales: The Party Film Sales
Turkey: About Dry Grasses by Nuri Bilge Ceylan • French producer: Memento Production, ARTE France, intl. sales: Playtime
Vietnam: Glorious Ashes by Bùi Thac Chuyen • French producer: MAT Productions
Other French films are campaigning for the Oscars, including Palme d’Or winner, Justin Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, which just won Best International Feature and Best Screenplay at the Gotham Awards 2023, in the run for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Original Screenplay; and Villa Albertine resident, Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters, in the run for Best Documentary Film Documentary and Best International Feature; and Frederick Wiseman’s Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros for Best Documentary.
In partnership with
UniFrance
Founded in 1949 and strengthened thanks to its merger with TV France International in 2021, UniFrance is the organisation responsible for promoting French cinema and TV content worldwide.
Located in Paris, UniFrance employs around 50 staff members, as well as representatives based in the U.S., in China, and soon in Japan. The organisation currently brings together more than 1,000 French cinema and TV content professionals (producers, filmmaking talents, agents, sales companies, etc.) working together to promote French films and TV programmes among foreign audiences, industry executives and media.