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France selects ‘Minotaur’ for Academy Award international feature race
France has selected the political thriller ‘Minotaur’, directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, to represent the country in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. The decision was made by an 11-member committee appointed by the National Centre for Cinema (CNC).
‘Minotaur’, which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, is a French-produced drama set in 2022 Russia. It follows a successful businessman, Gleb, whose life and moral compass unravel amidst the social and political pressures of the invasion of Ukraine and personal infidelity. The film marks Zvyagintsev’s return to feature filmmaking after nearly a decade.
The selection process involved a shortlist of five films, including ‘De Gaulle: The Iron Age’, ‘The Unknown’, ‘La Gradiva’, and ‘Iron Boy’. The choice of ‘Minotaur’ highlights France’s role as a major hub for international co-productions, as the film is a co-production involving French, German, and Latvian entities.
Entities
Academy Awards · Andrey Zvyagintsev · CNC · Cannes Film Festival · France · Latvia · MUBI · Minotaur · Russia
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] 'Minotaur' won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. deadline.com · variety.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Mubi will release the film in U.S. theaters on November 20, 2026. deadline.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] France has selected the film 'Minotaur' as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. deadline.com · variety.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The film 'Minotaur' was directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, a Russian filmmaker living in exile. deadline.com · variety.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] 'Minotaur' was chosen from a shortlist that included 'De Gaulle: Tilting Iron', 'Iron Boy', 'La Gradiva', and 'The Unknown'. deadline.com · variety.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The film is a French-produced political thriller set in Russia during the start of the war in Ukraine. deadline.com · variety.com