France’s Louis Delluc Critics’ Prize Nominations Unveiled

France’s awards season kicked off Friday with the nominations for the prestigious Louis Delluc prize, a prize awarded by critics for the year’s best film selected by a jury of 20. The jury is headed by former Cannes Film Festival president Gilles Jacob.

The shortlist of eight films announced Friday includes several that premiered during the festival, including Abderrahmane Sissako’s Timbuktu, Jean-Luc Godard’s Goodbye to Language, Olivier Assayas’ Sils Maria, starring Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart, and Bertrand Bonello’s biopic Saint Laurent, which is France’s candidate for the best foreign-language film Oscar.

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Timbuktu took the Ecumenical jury prize during the Cannes festival. The French co-production is Mauritania’s first-ever entry into the foreign-language Oscar race.

Other nominees include Claus Drexel’s documentary about the homeless of Paris On the Edge of the World, Benoit Jacquot’s romantic drama 3 Hearts, and Robin Capiglione’s immigration thriller Eastern Boys.

Last year, Abdellatif Kechiche’s Blue is the Warmest Color took home the prize.

This year’s winner will be announced Dec. 15.