French cinema scored a double victory at the 98th Academy Awards, where the French short film Two People Exchanging Saliva by Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh (photo) received the Oscar for Best Live Action Short (tied), and the minority-French co-production Sentimental Value, by Joachim Trier, the Oscar for Best International Feature Film.
Co-produced by Galeries Lafayette Création, Misia Films, and Alambic Production, and distributed internationally by Manifest, Two People Exchanging Saliva stars Luàna Bajrami and Zar Amir in a dystopian society where all physical contact between humans is banned in favor of luxury consumption. For the record, the last French short film to have won this award was Le Mozart des pickpockets, in 2008.
Having already won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival 2025, along with many other international awards (BAFTAs, European Film Awards), Sentimental Value was co-produced for France by Lumen, MK Productions, and Arte France Cinéma. The film is distributed internationally by mk2 films.
Unifrance extends its warmest congratulations to all the French organizations involved in the production and distribution of these two films!
The organization wishes to also pay tribute to Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident, chosen to represent France in the Best International Feature Film category. And of course to Arco by Ugo Bienvenu and Little Amélie or the Character of Rain by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, both nominated for the Best Animated Feature Film Oscar. Three feature films with impressive international track records, both at festivals and in theaters. We would also like to mention Butterfly, by Florence Miailhe, nominated in the Best Animated Short Film category.
Ahead of the ceremony, Unifrance hosted a casual luncheon attended by nominees from French productions and co-productions, as well as representatives from various institutions, including Gilles Pélisson, president of Unifrance, and Gaëtan Bruel, president of the CNC. The luncheon provided an opportunity for everyone to mingle and catch up before the ceremony the following day.
Au même moment, toujours de l'autre côté de l'Atlantique, s'achevaient les Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in New York, coorganisés par Unifrance. Avec plus de 20 artistes présents tout au long de 10 jours de présentation de cinéma français, ces rendez-vous ont connu une nouvelle fois beaucoup de séances complètes. La séance de clôture avec le film Alpha, en présence de Julia Ducournau, a été suivie d’un débat passionnant. Le film sortira le 27 mars sur les écrans américains par le distributeur Neon, heureux distributeur de Sentimental Value.
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