No Omar Sy this year at the César Awards – the French equivalent to the Academy Awards here in the USA. You'll recall that Sy made history last year, becoming the first black man to not only be nominated for the Best Actor César, he also became the first black man to win the César award for Best Actor.
This was for his role in The Intouchables.
But noteworthy César Awards nominations for this year, announced this morning, include, in the Best Animated Film category, Kirikou Et Les Hommes Et Les Femmes, Michele Ocelot's latest film in his popular Kirikou franchise; and Rémi Bezançon and Jean-Christophe Lie's Zarafa – a beautifully hand-drawn work of animation about a 10-year-old named Maki and the orphaned giraffe, Zarafa, who go on an epic adventure from the Sudan, where Maki escapes from slave traders, to Alexandria, Marseille and Paris.
And also in the Best First Film category, France-based Algerian/Sudanese filmmaker Rachid Djaidani's Rengaine (Refrain) – a no-budget contemporary Romeo and Juliet story about conflicts that arise when a black Christian man and a Muslim Arab woman fall in love.
That's about it for Diaspora representation on the César Awards nominations list this year.
The César Awards will be handed out in Paris on February 22.
The full list of nominees, courtesy of Deadline, follows:
Best Picture
Farewell, My Queen
Amour
Camille Redouble
In The House
Rust & Bone
Holy Motors
What’s In A Name
Best Director
Benoît Jacquot, Farewell, My Queen
Michael Haneke, Amour
Noémie Lvovsky, Camille Redouble
François Ozon, In The House
Jacques Audiard, Rust & Bone
Leos Carax, Holy Motors
Stéphane Brizé, Quelques Heures De Printemps
Best Actress
Catherine Frot, Les Sauveurs Du Palais
Marion Cotillard, Rust & Bone
Noémie Lvovsky, Camille Redouble
Corinne Masiero, Louise Wimmer
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Léa Seydoux, Farewell, My Queen
Hélène Vincent, Quelques Heures De Printemps
Best Actor
Jean-Pierre Bacri, Cherchez Hortense
Patrick Bruel, What’s In A Name
Denis Lavant, Holy Motors
Vincent Lindon, Quelques Heures De Printemps
Fabrice Luchini, In The House
Jérémie Rénier, Cloclo
Jean-Louis Trintignant, Amour
Best Supporting Actress
Valérie Benguigui, What’s In A Name
Judith Chemla, Camille Redouble
Isabelle Huppert, Amour
Yolande Moreau, Camille Redouble
Edith Scob, Holy Motors
Best Supporting Actor
Samir Guesmi, Camille Redouble
Michel Vuillermoz, Camille Redouble
Benoit Magimel, Cloclo
Claude Rich, Cherchez Hortense
Guillaume de Tonquedec, What’s In A Name
Newcomer (Female)
Alice de Lencquesaing, Au Galop
Lola Dewaere, Mince Alors!
Julia Faure, Camille Redouble
India Hair, Camille Redouble
Izia Higelin, Mauvaise Fille
Necomer (Male)
Félix Moati, Télé Gaucho
Kacey Mottet Klein, Sister
Pierre Niney, Comme Des Frères
Matthias Schoenaerts, Rust & Bone
Ernst Umhauer, In The House
Best Original Screenplay
Bruno Podalydès, Denis Podalydès, Adieu Berthe – L’Enterrement De Mémé
Michael Haneke, Amour
Noémie Lvovsky, Maud Ameline, Pierre-Olivier Mattei, Florence Seyvos, Camille Redouble
Leos Carax, Holy Motors
Florence Vignon, Stéphane Brizé, Quelques Heures De Printemps
Best Adapted Screenplay
Lucas Belvaux, 38 Witnesses
Gilles Taurand, Benoît Jacquot, Farewell, My Queen
François Ozon, In The House
Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Rust & Bone
Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre de la Patellière, What’s In A Name
Best Costumes
Christian Gasc, Farewell, My Queen
Pascale Chavanne, Augustine
Madeline Fontaine, Camille Redouble
Mimi Lempicka, Cloclo
Charlotte David, Populaire
Best Art Direction
Katia Wyszkop, Farewell, My Queen
Jean-Vincent Puzos, Amour
Philippe Chiffre, Cloclo
Florian Sanson, Holy Motors
Sylvie Olivé, Populaire
Best Animated Film
Edmond Etait Un Ane, Franck Dion
Ernest Et Célestine, Benjamin Renner, Vincent Patar, Stéphane Aubier
Kirikou Et Les Hommes Et Les Femmes, Michele Ocelot
Oh Willy, Emma De Swaef, Marc Roels
Zarafa, Rémi Besançon, Jean-Christophe Lie
Best First Film
Augustine, Alice Winocour
Comme Des Frères, Hugo Gélin
Louise Wimmer, Cyril Mennegun
Populaire, Régis Rosnard
Rengaine, Rachid Djaidani
Best Documentary
Bovines Ou La Vraie Vie Des Vaches, Emmanuel Gras
Duch, Le Maître Des Forges De L’Enfer, Rithy Panh
Les Invisibles, Sébastien Lifshitz
Journal De France, Claudine Nougaret, Raymond Depardon
Les Nouveaux Chiens De Garde, Gilles Balbastre, Yannick Kergoat
Best Original Score
Bruno Coulais, Farewell, My Queen
Gaëtan Roussel, Joseph Dahan, Camille Redouble
Philippe Rombi, In The House
Alexandre Desplat, Rust & Bone
Rob, Emmanuel D’Orlando, Populaire
Best Short Film
Ce N’est Pas Un Film De Cow-Boys, Benjamin Parent
Ce Qu’il Restera De Nous, Vincent Macaigne
Le Cri Du Homard, Nicolas Guiot
Les Meutes, Manuel Schapira
La Vie Parisienne, Viencent Dietschy
Best Cinematography
Romain Winding, Farewell, My Queen
Darius Khondji, Amour
Stéphane Fontaine, Rust & Bone
Caroline Champetier, Holy Motors
Guillaume Schiffman, Populaire
Best Editing
Luc Barnier, Farewell, My Queen
Monika Willi, Amour
Annette Dutertre, Michel Klochendler, Camille Redouble
Juliette Welfling, Rust & Bone
Nelly Quettier, Holy Motors
Best Sound
Brigitte Tallandier, Fançis Wargnier, Olivier Goinard, Farewell, My Queen
Guillaume Sciama, Nadine Muse, Jean-Pierre Laforce, Amour
Antoine Deflandre, Germaine Boulay, Eric Tisserand, Cloclo
Brigitte Tallandier, Pascal Villard, Jean-Paul Hurier, Rust & Bone
Erwan Kerzanet, Josefa Rodriguez, Emmanuel Croset, Holy Motors
Best Foreign Film
Argo
Bullhead
Laurence Anyways
Oslo, 31 August
The Angels’ Share
A Royal Affair
A Perdre La Raison