The French César 2011 awards were announced on Friday night at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The big winner of the night was Xavier Beauvois’ Of Gods and Men, which won Best Film as well as Best Cinematography and a Best Supporting Actor award for Michael Lonsdale. Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer also did well, winning the Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Music and Best Editing.
The biggest surprise of the night however was the success of comicbook artist Joann Sfar’s Gainsbourg, an unconventional biopic of French singer Serge Gainsbourg. In addition to Best First Film and Best Sound Design, acting newcomer Eric Elmosnino beat off competition from some of the biggest acting talent in France to win the Best Actor award.
David Fincher’s The Social Network won the Best Foreign Film award.
The full list of winners and nominations are:
Best Film
Of Gods and Men, Xavier Beauvois
other nonimations:
Heartbreaker, Pascal Chaumeil
Le Nom des gens, Michel Leclerc
The Ghost Writer, Roman Polanski
On Tour, Mathieu Amalric
Gainsbourg, Joann Sfar
Mammuth, Benoit Delepine and Gustave Kervern
Best Director
Roman Polanski, Ghost Writer
other nonimations:
Mathieu Amalric, On Tour
Olivier Assayas, Carlos
Xavier Beauvois, Of Gods and Men
Bertrand Blier, Le bruit des glaçons
Best Actor
Eric Elmosnino, Gainsbourg
other nonimations:
Gérard Depardieu, Mammuth
Romain Duris, Heartbreaker
Jacques Gamblin, Le Nom des gens
Lambert Wilson, Of Gods and Men
Best Actress
Sarah Forestier, Le Nom des gens
other nonimations: Isabelle Carré, Les Emotifs anonymes
Catherine Deneuve, Potiche
Charlotte Gainsbourg, L’arbre
Kristin Scott Thomas, Elle s’appelait Sarah
Best Adaptated Screenplay
Robert Harris and Roman Polanski, The Ghost Writer
other nonimations:
Julie Bertucelli, L’Arbre
Eric Lartigau and Laurent de Bartillat, L’Homme qui voulait vivre sa vie
François Ozon, Potiche
Bertrand Tavernier, Jean Cosmos and François Olivier Rousseau, La Princesse de Montpensier
Best Foreign Film
The Social Network, David Fincher (US)
other nonimations:
Inception, Christopher Nolan (US)
Invictus, Clint Eastwood (US)
Bright Star, Jane Campion (NZ)
Les Amours imaginaires, Xavier Dolan (Quebec)
Dans ses yeux, Juan Jose Campanella (Argentina)
Illegal, Olivier Masset Depasse (Belgium)
Best Original Screenplay
Baya Kasmi and Michel Leclerc, Le Nom des gens
other nonimations:
Mathieu Amalric Marcello Novais Teles and Philippe di Folco, On Tour
Bertrand Blier, Le Bruit des glaçons
Xavier Beauvois, Of Gods and Men
Gustave Kervern, Mammuth
Best First Film
Gainsbourg, Joann Sfar
other nonimations:
Simon Werner a disparu, Fabrice Gobert
Heartbreaker, Pascal Chaumeil
Tout ce qui brille, Géraldine Nakache
Tête de Turc, Pascal Elbé
Best Documentary Film
Océans, Jacques Perrin
other nonimations:
Benda Bilili, Florent de La Tullaye
Cleveland VS Wall Street, Jean-Stéphane Bron
Entre nos mains, Marianne Otero
Yves St Laurent Pierre Bergé L’amour fou, Pierre Thoretton
Best Newcomer Male
Edgar Ramirez, Carlos
other nonimations:
Pio Marmai, D’amour et d’eau fraiche
Arthur Dupont, Bus Palladium
Raphael Personnaz, La Princesse de Montpensier
Grégoire Leprince Ringuet, La Princesse de Montpensier
Best Newcomer Female
Leila Bekhti, Tout ce qui brille
other nonimations:
Audrey Lamy, Tout ce qui brille
Yahima Torres, Vénus Noire
Anais Desmoustier, D’Amour et d’eau fraîche
Léa Seydoux, Belle Epine
Best Editing
Hervé Deluze, The Ghost Writer
other nonimations:
Marilyne Monthieux, Gainsbourg
Annette Dutertre, On Tour
Luc Barnier, Carlos
Marie-Julie Maille, Of Gods and Men
Best Original Score
Alexandre Desplat, The Ghost Writer
other nonimations:
Bruno Coulais, Océans
Grégoire Hetzel, L’Arbre
Delphine Montoulet et Tony Gatlif, Liberté
Yarol Poupaud, Bus Palladium
Philippe Sarde, La Princesse de Montpensier
Best Sound
Daniel Sobrino, Jean Goudier et Cyril Holtz, Gainsbourg
other nonimations:
Philippe Barbeau Jerome Wiciak, Florence Lavallé, Océans
Jean-Marie Bondel Thomas Desjonqueres, Dean Humphreys, The Ghost Writer
Jean-Jacques Ferrand, Vincent Guillon and Eric Bonnard, Of Gods and Men
Olivier Meauvezin, Severin Favriau et Stéphane Thiebaut, On Tour
Best Cinematography
Caroline Champetier, Of Gods and Men
other nonimations:
Christophe Beaucarne, On Tour
Pawel Edelman, The Ghost Writer
Bruno Keyzer, La Princesse de Montpensier
Guillaume Schiffman, Gainsbourg
Best Costume Design
Caroline de Vivaise, La Princesse de Montpensier
other nonimations: Olivier Beriot, Adele Blanc-sec
Pascaline Chavanne, Potiche
Alicia Crisp-Jones, On Tour
Marielle Robaut, Of Gods and Men
Best Art Direction
Hugues Tissandier, Adele Blanc-sec
other nonimations:
Michel Barthélémy, Of Gods and Men
Guy-Claude François, La Princesse de Montpensier
Albrecht Konrad, The Ghost Writer
Christian Marti, Gainsbourg
Best Short Film
Logorama, H5
other nonimations:
Petit Tailleur, Louis Garrel
Une pute et un poussin, Michel Clément
Monsieur L’Abbé, Blandine Lenoir
Un transport en commun, Dyana Gaye
Best Supporting Actor Female
Anne Alvaro, Le Bruit des Glaçons
other nonimations:
Laetitia Casta, Gainsbourg
Valérie Bonneton, Les Petits Mouchoirs
Julie Ferrier, Heartbreaker
Karine Viard, Potiche
Best Supporting Actor Male
Michael Lonsdale, Of Gods and Men
other nonimations:
Niels Arestrup, L’Homme qui voulait vivre sa vie
François Damiens, Heartbreaker
Gilles Lellouche, Les Petits Mouchoirs
Olivier Rabourdin, Of Gods and Men
Best Animated Film
L’Illusioniste, Sylvain Chomet
other nonimations:
Arthur 3 : La guerre des deux mondes, Luc Besson
L’homme à la Gordini, Jean-Christophe Lie
Logorama, H5
Une vie de chat de Jean-Loup, Felicioli