The winner of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Laurent Cantet's The Class [trailer, film focus], has been chosen as France's entry for the Oscar nominations in the Best Foreign Language Film category. The five nominees will be announced on January 22 and the ceremony will take place on February 22.

Cantet's fourth feature – after Human Resources (awarded in San Sebastian in 1999 and winner of a Cesar for Best First Feature), Time Out (awarded in Venice 2001) and Heading South [trailer, film focus] (Best Promising Actor award in Venice 2005) – The Class was produced by Haut et Court, in co-production with France 2 Cinéma and with backing from the National Film Centre (CNC) and the region Ile-de-France. Pre-sales came from Canal + and Ciné Cinéma.
Sold to over 60 territories by Memento, The Class will be locally released by Haut et Court on Wednesday.

In Europe, The Class will be theatrically distributed in Italy (Mikado - release date: October 10), the UK (Curzon Artificial Eye), Spain (Golem – December 12), Germany (Concorde - January 15, 2009), Scandinavia (NonStop Entertainment), Portugal (Midas Filmes - October 30), Switzerland (Filmcoopi - September 24), Austria (Polyfilm), Greece (Ama Films), Romania (Independenta Film), Poland (SPI), the Czech Republic (Artcam) and Benelux (Cineart), including in Belgium on October 1.

The selection committee for France's Oscar entry comprised Pierre Chevalier (CNC president of advance on receipts), Thierry Frémaux (General Delegate of the Cannes Film Festival), Alain Terzian (producer and president of the César Academy), actress Jeanne Moreau and directors Jean-Jacques Annaud, Costa-Gavras and Régis Wargnier.