The César Award is the national film award of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It is delivered in the ' ceremony and was first awarded in 1976. The nominations are selected by the members of twelve categories of filmmaking professionals and supported by the

French Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture (french: Ministère de la Culture) is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and protection of the arts (visual, ...

. The nationally televised award ceremony is held in Paris each year in February. The exact location has changed over the years (in the

Théâtre du Châtelet The Théâtre du Châtelet () is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. One of two theatres (the other being the Théâtre de la Ville) built on the site of a ''châtelet'', a s ...

from 2002 to 2016). It is an initiative of 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 ...

, which was founded in 1975. The César Award is considered the highest film honor in France, the French film industry's equivalent to the Molière Award for theatre, and the

Victoires de la Musique Victoires de la Musique (; en, Victories of Music) is an annual French award ceremony where the Victoire accolade is delivered by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The classical and jazz ...

for music. In cinema, it is the French equivalent to the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. The award was created by

Georges Cravenne Georges Cravenne (24 January 1914 – 10 January 2009), real name Joseph-Raoul Cohen, was a French film producer, publicity agent and founder of the César Award. He received an Honorary César in 2000. Marriages He married French actress Franç ...

, who was also the creator of the Molière Award for theatre. The name of the award comes from the

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

César Baldaccini César (born Cesare Baldaccini; 1 January 1921 – 6 December 1998), also occasionally referred to as César Baldaccini (), was a noted French sculptor. César was at the forefront of the Nouveau Réalisme movement with his radical compressi ...

(1921–1998) who designed it. The 47th César Awards ceremony took place on 25 February 2022. '' Lost Illusions'', directed by

Xavier Giannoli Xavier Giannoli (born 7 March 1972) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. In 2010, he was named a Chevalier in the ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order ...

, won the award for Best Film.

History

In 1974,

founded the Academy of Arts and Techniques of Cinema that was, from the outset, intended to reward the achievements and the most remarkable film artwork, to have a French equivalent to the American Oscars. The first César Awards – also known as the "Night of Caesar" – were held on 3 April 1976 under the chairmanship of

Jean Gabin Jean Gabin (; 17 May 190415 November 1976) was a French actor and singer. Considered a key figure in French cinema, he starred in several classic films including ''Pépé le Moko'' (1937), '' La grande illusion'' (1937), ''Le Quai des brumes'' ...

who watched the ceremony from the front row seated in a wheelchair a few months before his death. The name of the award comes from the sculptor César, designer of the trophy awarded to the winners in each category. It is also an homage to the

Raimu Jules Auguste Muraire (18 December 1883 – 20 September 1946), whose stage name was Raimu, was a French actor. He is most famous for playing César in the 'Marseilles trilogy' ('' Marius'', '' Fanny'' and '' César''). Life and career Born in T ...

, the great French actor and performer of Marseille trilogy of

Marcel Pagnol Marcel Paul Pagnol (; 28 February 1895 – 18 April 1974) was a French novelist, playwright, and filmmaker. Regarded as an auteur, in 1946, he became the first filmmaker elected to the Académie française. Although his work is less fashionabl ...

, in which Raimu played the character of César. Josiane Balasko Daniel Auteuil Catherine Deneuve Karin Viard 2000

The César Awards replaced the , which was awarded from 1955 to 1975. Other prizes had been awarded to French cinema in the past. From 1934 to 1986, the , established by film pioneer Louis Lumière, was given to one film a year. In the 1950s, the was awarded each June. Lacking popular enthusiasm compared to the Étoile de cristal, this award was discontinued after 1964. At the inaugural César Awards, 13 awards were distributed. Today, there are 22 (in nine subcategories). Categories added in recent years include Most Promising Actor/Actress (''Meilleur espoir''), Best Documentary (''Meilleur documentaire'') and Best Animated Film (''Meilleur film d'animation''), while awards honoring the best film poster and best producer have been dropped, as they are now given at a sister ceremony, the . Beginning with the 43rd César ceremony in 2018, a new special award, the César du public, is given to the French film with the most box office receipts during the previous year and the beginning of the current year. This award responds to the need to reward French comedy films, which remain the most popular genre in France.. During the 45th ceremony in 2020,

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 ...

, a French actress playing the main character in ''

Portrait of a Lady on Fire ''Portrait of a Lady on Fire'' (french: Portrait de la jeune fille en feu, lit=Portrait of the Young Lady on Fire) is a 2019 French historical romantic drama film written and directed by Céline Sciamma, starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haen ...

'' left the room when

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 award for best director was announced in protest against the fact that notable sexual abusers in the film industry can receive awards when their victims are reduced to silence. Polanski was convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old in California in 1978, and has additionally been accused of other incidents of rape.

The statue

The César statues are compressed sculptures of metal objects, designed in 1975 by the sculptor

, a friend of

who gave them their name as a wink to the Oscars, the sound of the name being close to the film ''César'' by Pagnol. These forged pieces are made from polished natural bronze, unlike the

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

which are plated in gold. The latter directly inspired the first AATC trophy in 1976, which was a reel of film encircling a silhouette.. In 1977, before a mixed reception of actors, Baldaccini unveiled the current 8 by 8 cm compression, weighing 3.6 kg and cast in the Bocquel foundry in Normandy. The cost of a César has not been officially revealed, but is estimated at around 1,500 euros.

Voting process

Voting for César Awards is conducted through two ballots by mail: the first to establish nominations per category (three to five, depending on the discipline), and the second to decide the winner. Voters are professionals in the field, numbering about 4,000, divided into 12 colleges (actors, directors, writers, technicians, producers, distributors and international vendors, operators, agents artistic, technical industries, casting directors, press officers and members associates). The criteria for voting are: demonstrate a relatively consistent career in film and get a double sponsorship in the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma. Nominees or winners of the previous editions are exempt from these formalities. To aid voters, the Académie identifies each year films released in France and provides a guide to the works and eligible professionals. A DVD set of French or primarily French productions produced during the year is sent in December with the catalog of films to the electors. After the nominations are revealed, at the end of January, special screenings of the nominated films are shown at the Le Balzac cinema in Paris, near the

Champs-Élysées The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (, ; ) is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, long and wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc de Triomphe is lo ...

. Each year, a special lunch () for nominees is held at the famous

Fouquet's Fouquet's Paris is a historic high-end brasserie restaurant in Paris, France. It is located at 99 Avenue des Champs-Élysées and is part of Hotel Barrière Le Fouquet's Paris. The menu, designed in collaboration with Chef Pierre Gagnaire, con ...

restaurant on the Champs-Élysées, a few weeks before the ceremony.

Ceremonies

Overall

Films that received five or more César Awards

Films that received 10 or more César Award nominations

Directors with two or more awards

Actors with 7 or more nominations

"Big Five" winners and nominees

Winners

*''

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'' (1980) #Best Film: François Truffaut #Best Director: François Truffaut #Best Actor:

Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu, CQ (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor, filmmaker, businessman and vineyard owner since 1989 who is one of the most prolific thespians in film history having completed over 250 films since 1967 alm ...

#Best Actress:

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress as well as an occasional singer, model, and producer, considered one of the greatest European actresses. She gained recogni ...

#Best Writing:

Suzanne Schiffman Suzanne Schiffman (née Klochendler; 27 September 1929 – 6 June 2001) was a French screenwriter and director for numerous motion pictures. She often worked with François Truffaut. The 'script girl' Joelle, played by Nathalie Baye in Truffa ...

and François Truffaut *'' Amour'' (2013) #Best Film:

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Margaret Ménégoz Margaret Ménégoz (born Margit Katalin Baranyai; 21 April 1941) is a Hungarian-born German-French film producer. She has produced more than 60 films since 1976. She was a member of the jury at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival. She h ...

#Best Director:

#Best Actor:

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#Best Actress:

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#Best Writing:

Nominees

Four awards won *''

Smoking/No Smoking ''Smoking/No Smoking'' is a 1993 French comedy film. It was directed by Alain Resnais and written by Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri, from the play '' Intimate Exchanges'' by Alan Ayckbourn. The film starred Pierre Arditi and Sabine Azéma. I ...

'' (1993): Best Actress (

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) *''

Too Beautiful for You ''Too Beautiful for You'' (french: Trop belle pour toi) is a 1989 French romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Bertrand Blier. It tells the story of Bernard ( Gérard Depardieu), a well-established BMW car dealer in the South of Fr ...

'' (1989): Best Actor (

) Three awards won *''

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'' (1990): Best Actress (

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) and Writing (

Jean-Claude Carrière Jean-Claude Carrière (; 17 September 1931 – 8 February 2021) was a French novelist, screenwriter and actor. He received an Academy Award for best short film for co-writing '' Heureux Anniversaire'' (1963), and was later conferred an Honorary ...

and

Jean-Paul Rappeneau Jean-Paul Rappeneau (born 8 April 1932) is a French film director and screenwriter. Career He started out in film as an assistant and screenwriter collaborating with Louis Malle on ''Zazie dans le métro (film), Zazie dans le métro'' in 1960 a ...

) *''

Same Old Song ''Same Old Song'' (french: On connaît la chanson) is a 1997 French comedy-drama film. It was directed by Alain Resnais, and written by Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri. Jaoui and Bacri also starred in the film with Sabine Azéma, Lambert Wilso ...

'' (1997): Best Actress (

) and Director (

Alain Resnais Alain Resnais (; 3 June 19221 March 2014) was a French film director and screenwriter whose career extended over more than six decades. After training as a film editor in the mid-1940s, he went on to direct a number of short films which included ...

) *'' The Artist'' (2011): Best Actor (

Jean Dujardin Jean Edmond Dujardin (; born 19 June 1972) is a French actor and comedian. He began his career as a stand-up comedian in Paris before guest starring in comedic television programmes and films. He first came to prominence with the cult TV series ...

) and Writing (

Michel Hazanavicius Michel Hazanavicius ( lt, Hazanavičius; born 29 March 1967) is a French film director, screenwriter, editor, and producer. He is best known for his 2011 film, '' The Artist'', which won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 84th Academy Aw ...

) * ''Custody'' (2017): Best Actor (

Denis Ménochet Denis Ménochet (born 18 September 1976) is a French actor. Ménochet is known to international audiences for his role as Perrier LaPadite, a French dairy farmer interrogated by the Nazis for harboring Jews in the 2009 Quentin Tarantino film ''I ...

) and Director (

Xavier Legrand Xavier Legrand (born 28 March 1979) is a French actor, scriptwriter and filmmaker. Legrand was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for the 2013 film ''Avant que de tout perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)''. His first ...

)

Most acting wins and nominations for a film

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cesar Award French film awards Awards established in 1976 1976 establishments in France Recurring events established in 1976 Annual events in France