Jacques Audiard’s Oscar-nominated Emilia Pérez was named best French film of the year at the 50th César awards on Friday night (February 28), taking home seven awards from 12 nominations.
The Mexico-set musical crime thriller that won the jury prize and shared best actress award at Cannes Film Festival last May also earned a best director and adapted screenplay prize for Audiard and awards for cinematography, original music, visual effects, and sound. The film has sold some 1.2million tickets at the French box office since its August 2014 release for Pathé.
Scroll down for the full list of winners
Stars Karla Sofia Gascon and Zoe Saldana – both nominated for best actress in Paris – joined Audiard for the occasion ahead of Sunday’s Oscars in Hollywood, where Emilia Pérez is in contention for 13 awards and all three are nominated for Academy Awards.
Sean Baker, whose Anora was nominated in the best international film category, was also in attendance. Karim Leklou was named best actor for Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu’s Jim’s Story, and Hafsia Herzi won the best actress award for her role in Stephane Demoustier’s Borgo.
Boris Lojkine’s Souleymane’s Story also had a strong night with awards for best original screenplay, best supporting actress for Nina Meurisse, best male breakthrough for Abou Sangare, and best editing.
Best animated film went to Oscar-nominated Flow and Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone Of Interest won the prize for best international film. It won the best international feature film Oscar last year and premiered in Cannes in 2023.
Flow was one of many of this year’s César nominees that premiered on the Croisette in 2024. Films from Cannes earned 83 nominations across all categories. In addition to Emilia Perez and Souleymane’s Story other winners like Louise Courvoisier’s Holy Cow (Best debut film and best female breakthrough performance for Maiwene Barthelemey) also first premiered at the festival. Supporting Actor went to Alain Chabat for Gilles Lellouche’s Beating Hearts.
Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre De La Patelliere’s epic literary adaptation The Count Of Monte-Cristo, which also debuted on the Croisette, led the César nominations with 14 nods and won prizes for best costumes and best production design. The award for best short film went to The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, which is also nominated for the best live-action short Oscar this year.
Clive Owen presented Julia Roberts with an honourary César. Earlier in the day, the American actress received the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from cultural minister Rachida Dati. Costa-Gavras also received an honourary Cesar.
The French Academy paid homage to the late actors Alain Delon and Michel Blanc. Speeches mostly avoided politics and presenters stuck to lighthearted jokes and physical comedy, a notable change from last year’s ceremony that saw Judith Godrèche make an empassionned #MeToo-oriented speech about sexual assault in the industry.
The César awards are voted upon by the 5,000 members of France’s Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques, which oversees France’s equivalent of the Oscars and Baftas. Cedric Klapisch served as artistic director. Catherine Deneuve presided over the ceremony, which was produced and broadcast live and exclusively as free-for-view on Canal+.
2025 César winners
Best film
The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Emilia Perez
The Marching Band
Souleymane’s Story
Misericordia
Best actress
Adele Exarchopolous, Beating Hearts
Karla Sofia Gascon, Emilia Perez
Hafsia Herzi, Borgo
Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez
Helene Vincent, When Fall Is Coming
Best actor
Francois Civil, Beating Hearts
Benjamin Lavernhe, The Marching Band
Karim Leklou, Jim’s Story
Pierre Niney, The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Tahar Rahim, Monsieur Aznavour
Best supporting actress
Elodie Bouchez, Beating Hearts
Anais Demoustier, The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Catherine Frot, Misericordia
Nina Meurisse, Souleymane’s Story
Sarah Suco, The Marching Band
Best supporting actor
David Ayala, Misericordia
Bastien Bouillon, The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Alain Chabat, Beating Hearts
Jacques Develay, Misericordia
Laurent Lafitte, The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Best director
Gilles Lellouche, Beating Hearts
Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre De La Patelliere, The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Perez
Boris Lojkine, Souleymane’s Story
Alain Guiraudie, Misercordia
Best international film
Anora, dir. Sean Baker
The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, dir. Mohammad Rasoulof
The Apprentice, dir. Ali Abbasi
The Substance, dir. Coralie Fargeat
The Zone Of Interest, dir. Jonathan Glazer
Best female breakthrough
Maiwene Barthelemey, Holy Cow
Malou Khebizi, Wild Diamond
Megan Northam, Rabia
Mallory Wanecque, Beating Hearts
Soheila Yacoub, Planet B
Best male breakthrough
Abou Sangare, Souleymane’s Story
Adam Bessa, Ghost Trail
Malik Frikah, Beating Hearts
Felix Kysyl, Misericordia
Pierre Lottin, The Marching Band
Best original screenplay
Stephanie Demoustier, Borgo
Emmanuel Courcol, Irene Muscari, The Marching Band
Boris Lojkine, Delphine Agut, Souleymane’s Story
Alain Guiraudie, Misericordia
Louise Courvoisier, Theo Abadie, Holy Cow
Best adaptation
Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre de la Patelliere, The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Perez
Michel Hazanavicius, Jean-Claude Grumberg, The Most Precious Of Cargoes
Best original music
Jon Brion, Beating Hearts
Jerome Rebotier, The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Clement Ducol and Camille, Emilia Perez
Alexandre Desplat, The Most Precious Of Cargoes
Linda Courvoisier, Charlie Courvoisier, Holy Cow
Best sound
Cedric Deloche, Gwennole Le Borgne, Jon Goc, Marc Doisne, Beating Hearts
David Rit, Gwennole Le Borgne, Olivier Touche, Laure-Anne Darras, Marion Papinot, Marc Doisne, Samuel Delorme, The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldere, Cyril Holtz, Niels Barletta, Emilia Perez
Pascal Armant, Sandy Notarianni, Niels Barletta, The Marching Band
Marc-Olivier Brulle, Pierre Bariaud, Charlotte Butrak, Samuel Aichoun, Souleymane’s Story
Best cinematography
Laurent Tangy, Beating Hearts
Nicolas Bolduc, The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Paul Guilhaume, Emilia Perez
Tristan Galand, Souleymane’s Story
Claire Mathon, Misericordia
Best editing
Simon Jacquet, Beating Hearts
Celia Lafitedupont, The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Juliette Welfling, Emilia Perez
Guerric Catala, The Marching Band
Xavier Sirven, Souleymane’s Story
Best costumes
Isabelle Pannetier, Beating Hearts
Thierry Delettre, The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Virginie Montel, Emilia Perez
Isabelle Mathieu, Monsieur Aznavour
Anais Romand, Sarah Bernhardt, La Divine
Best production design
Jean-Philippe Moreaux, Beating Hearts
Stephane Taillasson, The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Emmanuelle Duplay, Emilia Perez
Stephane Rozenbaum, Monsieur Aznavour
Olivier Radot, Sarah Bernhardt, La Divine
Best visual effects
Cedric Gayolle, Hugues Namur, Emilien Lazaron, The Beast
Olivier Cauwet, The Count Of Monte-Cristo
Cedric Fayolle, Emilia Perez
Stephane Dittoo, Monsieur Aznavour
Best fiction short
Boucan, dir. Salome Da Souza
Ce qui appartient a Cesar, dir. Violette Gitton
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, dir. Nebojsa Slijepcevic
Queen Size, dir. Avril Besson
Best animation
Flow, dir. Gints Zilbalodis
The Most Precious Of Cargoes, dir. Michel Hazanavicius
Savages, dir. Claude Barras
Best documentary
The Belle From Gaza, dir. Yolande Zauberman
Bye Bye Tiberias, dir. Lina Soualem
Dahomey, dir. Mati Diop
Ernest Cole, Lost and Found, dir. Raoul Peck
La Ferme des Bertrand, dir. Gilles Perret
Madame Hofmann, dir. Sebastien Lifshitz
Best debut film
Wild Diamond, dir. Agathe Riedinger
Ghost Trail, dir. Jonathan Millet
The Kingdom, dir. Julien Colonna
A Little Something Extra, dir. Artus
Holy Cow, dir. Louise Courvoisier
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