Polisse, The Minister lead Césars nominations

Cannes jury prize-winner Polisse, the gritty drama about a police child protection unit from director Maiwenn, was declared the frontrunner in France’s prestigious Cesar Awards on Friday, picking up 13 nominations.

Pierre Schoeller’s political drama The Minister followed with 11 nominations.

France’s Academie Des Arts et Technique du Cinema unveiled the nominations at its annual press conference at the swanky Fouquet’s restaurant on the Champs Elysées.

Oscar favourite The Artist, which is nominated for 10 academy awards, was nominated in 10 César categories including best film, director, screenplay, actor and actress.

French box office hit Untouchable, picked up nine nominations, including two mentions in the best actor category for co-stars Omar Sy and François Cleuzet.

Best foreign film nominations comprised Black Swan, Drive, The King’s Speech, The Kid With The Bike, Melancholia and A Separation.

For the 2012 edition, 555 films were submitted for consideration and were voted on by 3309 members of the Cesar Academy.

The ceremony will take place in Paris on February 24. Guillaume Canet will preside over the ceremony to be hosted by Antoine de Caunes. Kate Winslet will receive an honorary Cesar.

The full list of nominations is as follows:

Best Film  

The Minister, dir: Pierre Schoeller

Declaration of War, dir: Valérie Donzelli

Le Havre, dir: Aki Kaurismaki

Untouchable, dir: Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache

Pater, dir: Alain Cavalier

Polisse, dir: Maïwenn

The Artist, dir: Michel Hazanavicius

Best Director

Alain Cavalier, Pater

Valérie Donzelli, Declaration of War

Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Aki Kaurismaki, Le Havre

Maïwenn, Polisse

Pierre Schoeller, The Minister

Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache, Untouchable

Best Screenplay

Declaration of War, dir: Valérie Donzelli

The Artist, dir: Michel Hazanavicius

Polisse, dir: Maïwenn

The Minister, dir: Pierre Schoeller

Untouchable, dir: Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache

Best Foreign Film

Black Swan, dir: Darren Aronofsky

The King’s Speech, dir: Tom Hooper

Drive, dir: Nicolas Winding Refn

The Kid With A Bike, dir: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

Incendies, dir: Denis Villeneuve

Melancholia, Lars von Trier

A Separation, dir: Asghar Farhedi

Best First Film

17 Girls, dir: Delphine and Muriel Coulin

Angele and Tony, dir: Alix Delaporte

When Pigs Have Wings, dir: Sylvain Estibal

Delicacy, dir: David and Stephane Foenkinos

My Little Princess, dir: Eva Ionesco

Best Animated Film

Rabbi’s Cat, dir: Joann Sfar, Antoine Delesvaux

The Circus, dir: Nicolas Brault

A Mouse’s Tale, dir: Benjamin Renner

Le Tableau, dir: Jean-Francois Laguionie

A Monster in Paris, dir: Bibo Bergeron

Best Documentary

The Liars’ Dance, dir: Daniel Leconte

Crazy Horse, dir: Frederic Wiseman

Here We Drown Algerians, dir: Yasmina Adi

Michel Petrucciani, dir: Michael Radford

Tous au Larzac, dir: Christian Rouard

Best Actor

Sami Bouajila, Omar Killed Me

Francois Cluzet, Untouchable

Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Olivier Gourmet, The Minister

Denis Podalydes, The Conquest

Omar Sy, Untouchable

Philippe Torrenton, Guilty

Best Actress

Ariane Ascaride, The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Bérénice Béjo, The Artist

Leila Bekhti. The Source

Valérie Donzelli, Declaration of War

Marina Fois, Polisse

Marie Gillian, Toutes Nos Envies

Karin Viard, Polisse

Best Supporting Actress

Zabou Breitman, The Minister

Anne Le Ny, Untouchable

Noémie Lvovsky, House of Tolerance

Carmen Maura, The Women on the Sixth Floor

Karole Rocher, Polisse

Best Supporting Actor

Michel Blanc, The Minister

Nicolas Duvauchelle, Polisse

Joey Starr, Polisse

Bernard Le Coq, The Conquest

Frédéric Pierrot, Polisse

Best Newcomer (female)

Naidra Ayadi, Polisse

Adèle Haenel dans, House of Tolerance  

Clotilde Hesme, Angèle and Tony


Céline Sallette, House of Tolerance

Christa Théret, Twiggy

Best Newcomer (male)

Nicolas Bridet, You Will Be My Son

Grégory Gadebois, Angèle and Tony

Guillaume Gouix, Jimmy Rivière

Pierre Niney, J’aime Regarder Les Filles

Dimitri Storoge, A Gang Story (Les Lyonnais)

Best Adaptation

David Foenkinos, Delicacy

Vincent Garenq, Guilty

Olivier Gorce, Roschdy Zem, Rachid Bouchareb, Olivier Lorelle, Omar Killed Me

Mathieu Kassovitz, Pierre Geller, Benoît Jaubert, Rebellion

Yasmina Reza, Roman Polanski,Carnage

Best Original Music

Alex Beaupain, The Beloved

Bertrand Bonello, House of Tolerance

Ludovic Bource, The Artist

Patrice Renson, A Monster in Paris

Philippe Schoeller, The Minister

Best Sound

Pascal Armant, Jean Goudier, Jean-paul Hurier, Untouchable

Jean-pierre Duret, Nicolas Moreau, Jean-pierre Laforce, House of Tolerance

Olivier Hespel, Julie Brenta, Jean-pierre Laforce, The Minister

Nicolas Provost, Rym Debbarh-mounir, Emmanuel Croset, Polisse

André Rigaut, Sébastien Savine, Laurent Gabiot, Declaration of War

 Best Cinematography

Pierre Aïm, Polisse

Josée Deshaies, House of Tolerance

Julien Hirsch, The Minister

Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist

Mathieu Vadepied, Untouchable

Best Editing

Anne-sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Laurence Briaud, The Minister

Pauline Gaillard, Declaration of War

Laure Gardette, Yann Dedet, Polisse

Dorian Rigal Ansous, Untouchable

Best Costume

Catherine Baba, My Little Princess

Mark Bridges, The Artist

Christian Gasc, The Women on the Sixth Floor

Viorica Petrovici, The Source

Anaïs Romand, House of Tolerance

 Best Art Direction

Laurence Bennett, The Artist

Alain Guffroy, House of Tolerance

Pierre-françois Limbosch, The Women on the Sixth Floor

Jean-marc Tran Tan Ba, The Minister

Wouter Zoon, Le Havre

Best Short film

L’accordeur,Olivier Treiner


La France Qui Se Lève Tôt, Hugo Chesnard


J’aurais Pu Etre Une Pute Baya Kasmi


Je Pourrais Etre Votre Grand-Mère, Bernard Tanguy

 Un Monde Sans Femmes, Guillaume Brac