French Oscar Shortlist Includes Richard Linklater’s ‘Nouvelle Vague,’ Jafar Panahi’s ‘It Was Just an Accident’ and Rebecca Zlotowski’s ‘A Private Life’

France has unveiled a shortlist of five films for its submission to the international feature race: Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague,” a love letter to the French cinematic movement known as the New Wave acquired by Netflix; Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or-winning “It Was Just an Accident,” which he shot in exile aided by French producers and was picked up by Neon; Rebecca Zlotowski’s Sony Pictures Classics film “A Private Life,” which played at Cannes and stars Jodie Foster; “Arco,” an animated feature voiced and produced by Natalie Portman (also bought by Neon); and Hafsia Herzi’s queer coming-of-age drama “The Little Sister” which won Cannes’ best actress for Nadia Melliti.

Year after year, France’s official entry in the international feature Oscar race proves divisive and this new campaign trail will be no different considering that its two frontrunners, “Nouvelle Vague” and “It Was Just an Accident,…