Xavier Dolan finalist at Caesars

For the second consecutive year, Xavier Dolan was nominated for a César award. His second film, Heartbeats, was selected in the category of best foreign film, alongside heavyweights like Inception Christopher Nolan, Clint Eastwood and Invictus The Social Network of David Fincher. Finalists for the Caesars - the French equivalent of the Oscars - were announced Friday morning at the famous restaurant Fouquet's de Paris. Organized by the Academy of arts and techniques of cinema, the 36th ceremony of the Caesars will be held Feb. 25 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. 
Critically acclaimed, The Heartbeats got a nice popular success in France upon its release last September. Dolan's first film, I killed my mother, had also managed last year to sneak a finalist for the Cesar for best foreign film, along with Avatar and Slumdog Millionaire, among others. Otherwise, it's no surprise the film by Xavier Beauvois, Men and Gods, which dominates the nominations this year, with 11 mentions.
The finalists of the main categories:
Best French Film:

    * The Heartbreaker Pascal Chaumeil
    * The names of the people of Michel Leclerc
    * Gainsbourg (heroic life) by Joann Sfar
    * Men and Gods by Xavier Beauvois
    * Mammuth Benoît Delepine and Gustave Kervern
    * The Ghost Writer by Roman Polanski
    * Tour Mathieu Amalric
Best Director:

    * Mathieu Amalric for Tour
    * Olivier Assayas for Carlos
    * Xavier Beauvois for Men and Gods
    * Bertrand Blier for the sound of ice
    * Roman Polanski for The Ghost Writer
Best Actor:

    * Gerard Depardieu in Mammuth
    * Romain Duris in The man who wanted to live his life
    * Lambert Wilson Men and Gods
    * Eric Elmosnino in Gainsbourg (heroic life)
    * Jacques Gamblin in People's names
Best Actress:

    * Isabelle Carre in emotions anonymous
    * Catherine Deneuve in Potiche
    * Sara Forestier People's names
    * Charlotte Gainsbourg in The Tree
    * Kristin Scott Thomas in Sarah '
Best Supporting Actor:

    * Niels Arestrup in The Man who wanted to live his life
    * François Damiens in The Heartbreaker
    * Gilles Lellouche in The Little Handkerchiefs
    * Michael Lonsdale in Men and Gods
    * Olivier Rabourdin in Men and Gods
Best Supporting Actress:

    * Anne Alvaro in The sound of ice
    * Valerie Bonneton in The Little Handkerchiefs
    * Laetitia Casta in Gainsbourg (heroic life)
    * Julie Ferrier The Heartbreaker
    * Karin Viard in Potiche
Best first film:

    * The Heartbreaker Pascal Chaumeil
    * Gainsbourg (heroic life) by Joann Sfar
    * Simon Werner disappeared Fabrice Gobert
    * Head of Turkish Pascal Elbe
    * All that glitters Géraldine Nakache and Hervé Mimran