Paris, France — The Mexico-set musical crime thriller Emilia Pérez made a sweeping victory at the César Awards, France’s most prestigious film honors, held in Paris.
Directed by Jacques Audiard, the film won the coveted Jury Prize and shared the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival last May.
At the Césars, it further secured Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Audiard, along with awards for Cinematography, Original Music, Visual Effects, and Sound.
Since its release in August 2014, the film has sold around 1.2 million tickets at the French box office, distributed by Pathé.
Stars Karla Sofia Gascon and Zoe Saldana, both nominated for Best Actress, attended the event alongside Audiard, ahead of Sunday’s Academy Awards in Hollywood, where Emilia Pérez is in contention for 13 Oscars, including acting nominations for all three.
Sean Baker was also present, representing his film Anora, which was nominated for Best International Film.
Karim Leklou won Best Actor for his performance in Jim’s Story by Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu, while Hafsia Herzi took home the Best Actress award for her role in Stéphane Demoustier’s Borgo.
Boris Lojkine’s Souleymane’s Story also emerged as a strong contender, winning Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress for Nina Meurisse, Best Male Breakthrough for Abou Sangare, and Best Editing.
The Best Animated Film award went to the Oscar-nominated Flow, while Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest secured the prize for Best International Film, having previously won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film last year.
Cannes Debuts Shine Bright
The influence of the Cannes Film Festival was unmistakable, with films that premiered on the Croisette in 2024 earning 83 César nominations across all categories.
Besides Emilia Pérez and Souleymane’s Story, other notable winners included Louise Courvoisier’s Holy Cow, which won Best Debut Film and Best Female Breakthrough Performance for Maiwene Barthelemey. Alain Chabat won Best Supporting Actor for his role in Gilles Lellouche’s Beating Hearts.
Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre De La Patellière’s adaptation of The Count of Monte-Cristo led the nominations with 14 nods and won for Best Costumes and Best Production Design.
The Best Short Film award went to The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, which is also in the running for the Best Live-Action Short Oscar this year.
Honours and Tributes
Clive Owen presented Julia Roberts with an honorary César, and earlier in the day, the American actress received the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France’s Cultural Minister Rachida Dati.
Veteran filmmaker Costa-Gavras was also honored with a lifetime achievement award. The ceremony included tributes to the late French actors Alain Delon and Michel Blanc.
Departing from the politically charged tone of previous years, the ceremony, presided over by Catherine Deneuve and directed by Cedric Klapisch, favored lighthearted humor and physical comedy.
The César Awards, often regarded as France’s answer to the Oscars and BAFTAs, are voted on by the 5,000 members of the French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques. The event was broadcast live and exclusively on Canal+.
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