2015 Cesar Award Nominees

France's Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for this year's Cesar Awards - the country's equivalent to the Oscars - in a morning ceremony at the famed Fouqet's restaurant on the Champs Elysees.

Sean Penn will receive the Academy's honorary Cesar this year, organizers announced Monday.Alain Resnais will get a tribute at the awards ceremony.

The 40th annual awards will be held on Feb. 20 - just two days ahead of the Oscars - at Paris' Chatelet Theatre. 

Here are nominees in some key categories:

Best Film
Love at First Fight
Eastern Boys
The Belier Family
Hippocrates
Saint Laurent
Sils Maria
Timbuktu

Best Director
Celine Sciamma for Girlhood
Thomas Cailley for Love at First Fight
Robin Campillo for Eastern Boys
Thomas Lilti for Hippocrates
Bertrand Bonello for Saint Laurent
Olivier Assays for Sils Maria
Abderrahmane Sissako for Timbuktu