France’s Cesar Academy has joined forces with Happening director Audrey Diwan for a short film honouring the 30 ‘Revelations’, the emerging French talents in the running for the most promising actor and actress awards at this year’s Cesar film awards.

Diwan presented the four-minute short film she wrote and directed at a dinner in Paris on January 16 attended by the Revelations, each of whom chose a mentor to accompany them. They included Marion Cotillard, Juliette Binoche, Virginie Efira, Camille Cottin, Emmanuelle Devos, Leila Bekhti, Romain Duris, Michel Hazanavicius, Bertrand Bonello and Claire Denis.

Saint Omer actresses Guslagie Malanda and Kayije Kagame, Forever Young stars Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Clara Bretheau, A Radiant Girl’s Rebecca Marder, Paul Kircher from Christophe Honoré’s Winter Boy, Athena star Dali Benssalah and Bastien Bouillon from Dominik Moll’s The Night Of The 12th are among the 30 breakout stars of the year.

2023 'Revelations’ short film c Cesar Academy

Source: Cesar Academy

2023 ’Revelations’ short film

All have been nominated for their roles in films released in French theatres in 2022. When the line-up was first announced in November 22 it had two extra names: The Cesar Academy opted to remove Forever Young star Sofiane Bennacer following accusations of rape and Max Gomis is no longer eligible for his role in Cedric Ido’s The Gravity since the film will not hit French screens until 2023.

The 30 have been selected by a committee comprised of 18 casting directors active in French film production. Cesar voters will choose the final five in each category and then vote for the winners.

Diwan is now preparing to shoot Emmanuelle starring Léa Seydoux and co-written by Rebecca Zlotowski, by the end of 2023. The prolific filmmaker also co-wrote the script for Valerie Donzelli’s Just The Two of Us and is finishing her work co-writing Gilles Lellouche’s as-yet-untitled next film.

The Revelations short film was produced by Rectangle Productions, which also produced Happening, and includes an original song by French musician Abd Al Malik. 

The 48th annual Cesar ceremony will be held Paris on February 24 and broadcast live by longtime partner Canal+. Nominees will be announced on January 25.