The 45th César Awards ceremony, presented by the

Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma The Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma ( en, Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques) is an organization that gives out the César Award. It was created in 1975, on the initiative of Georges Cravenne. Board of directors The board is made ...

, took place on 28 February 2020, at the

Salle Pleyel The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by acoustician Gustave Lyon together with architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed in 1927 by ...

in Paris to honour the best French films of 2019.

Sandrine Kiberlain Sandrine Kiberlain (born Sandrine Kiberlajn; 25 February 1968) is a French actress and singer. Her most notable roles were in the films '' The Patriots'' (1994), '' A Self Made Hero'' (1996), ''For Sale'' (1998), ''Alias Betty'' (2001), ''Madem ...

presided, and

Florence Foresti Florence Foresti (; born 8 November 1973 in Vénissieux) is a French comedian and actress. Life and career Following her high school studies in literature, theatre and dramatic expression at Saint-Just de Lyon, Florence Foresti entered a scho ...

as the host. Controversy and protests dogged the Academy in the months running up to the ceremony. The entire board of directors of the César Academy resigned on 13 February 2020, in response to complaints over the opaqueness of the process and the powerlessness of normal Academy members, who do not vote for nor otherwise exercise any control over the leadership of the Academy. The other issue of protest was the 12 nominations received by

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a (né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two ...

's ''J'Accuse'' (''

An Officer and a Spy ''An Officer and a Spy'' is a 2013 historical fiction thriller by the English writer and journalist Robert Harris. It tells the true story of the French officer Georges Picquart from 1896 to 1906, as he struggles to expose the truth about the ...

'' in English), the most nominations of any eligible film. French feminists protested heaping honors on Polanski, who was convicted of raping a minor in California in 1978 but, according to Los Angeles courts, has not completed his sentence although this is disputed by Polanski's lawyers, and has additionally been accused of other incidents of rape.

Winners and nominees

The nominees for the 45th César Awards were announced on 29 January 2020.

Controversies

's Best Director win for ''

'' was poorly received by the audience. Few clapped, and several audience members walked out in disgust, including Best Actress nominee

Adèle Haenel Adèle Haenel (; born 11 February 1989) is a French actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including two César Awards from seven nominations and one Lumières Award from two nominations. Haenel began her career as a child actres ...

. Polanski as well as other crew members of ''An Officer and a Spy'' did not attend the ceremony. No one was there to accept the award on Polanski's behalf.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cesar Awards, 2020

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

2020 film awards 2020 in French cinema 2020 in Paris February 2020 events in France

Winners and nominees

Controversies

See also

References

External links