The Cannes Film Festival was proven a major Oscar launchpad once again on Wednesday as the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were unveiled at the break of dawn in L.A.
Six films which premiered in its 2025 edition made in into the final voting round of the awards, garnering a total of 19 nominations in 12 categories.
Four of the five films nominated for Best International Feature Film – It Was Just An Accident, Sentimental Value, Sirāt and The Secret Agent – premiered in Cannes.
Additionally, French animations Arco and Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, which in the running for Best Animated Feature, also began their journeys in Cannes.
This compares with 31 nominations across eight films and 17 categories last year, ahead of the 97th Academy Award, which saw Cannes awards’ kudos rise after 2024 Palme d’Or winner Anora won five Oscars including including Best picture, Best director and Best actress.
Venice came in second with 15 nominations overall across four films including Kaouther Ben Hania’s 2025 Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize winner The Voice of Hind Rajab which is nominated in the Best International Feature Film category as Tunisia’s entry.
Leading the charge out of Venice is Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, with nine nominations; Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia with four nominations, and Silver Lion Best Director winner The Smashing Machine by Benny Safdie, with one nomination.