France has selected Jacques Audiard's Spanish-language musical 'Emilia Perez' as its submission for the Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, marking a strong contender in the category. The film, which premiered at Cannes to critical acclaim, features a cast that includes Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz, and follows a drug lord's journey of self-discovery. The selection comes after France's previous nomination missteps, particularly missing out on a nomination for 'Anatomy of a Fall' last year. 'Emilia Perez' has garnered significant attention and support from Netflix, which acquired its U.S. rights and is backing its awards campaign. The film is expected to benefit from a robust marketing push due to its festival performances and star-studded cast. This marks France's hope for its first win in the category since 1993, despite having a rich history of nominations and wins in international cinema.