The 51st edition of France‘s top Césars awards is getting underway in the storied L’Olympia concert hall in central Paris this evening and Deadline is following the event live.
In early prizes, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another won Best International Film, beating The Secret Agent, Black Dog, Sirāt and Sentimental Value.
Richard Linklater’s ode to the French New Wave Nouvelle Vague went into the evening as the frontrunner, with nominations in 10 categories including best director, film, original screenplay and cinematography.
Other frontrunners include Carine Tardieu’s family drama The Ties That Bind Us, Dominik Moll’s Case 137 and Stéphane Demoustier’s The Great Arch with eight nominations each. There is also buzz around Hafsia Herzi’s The Little Sister and Thierry Khifla’s The Richest Woman In The World, with seven and six nominations each.
Lead presenter Benjamin Lavernhe, known internationally for his roles in The Marching Band and Jean du Barry, kicked off evening with a high energy The Mask-themed musical number in honor of Jim Carrey, who receives the honorary Cesar this evening.
Carrey follows in the footsteps of recent honorees Julia Roberts (2025), Christopher Nolan (2024), David Fincher (2023) Cate Blanchett (2022), Robert Redford (2019) and George Clooney (2017).
Call My Agent! Camille Cottin, in her role of ceremony president, opened the awards with a satirical speech on her plan to make cinema “great again”, celebrating French cinema as “national treasure” and the wider power of cinema.
“Culture is often the first to be attacked, because it is a weapon against authoritarianism. We want to dedicate this ceremony to all peoples who fight for their freedoms at the risk of their lives,” she said.
Keep checking in for updates:
Best Screenplay Adaptation
Carine Tardieu, Raphaële Moussafir, Agnès Feuvre for The Ties That Bind
Best Female Acting Hope
Nadia Melliti for The Little Sister
Best Male Acting Hope
Théodore Pellerin for Nino
Best First Film
Nino, directed by Pauline Loqués
Best International Film
One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Best Animated Feature
Arco by Ugo Bienvenu
Best Cinematography
David Chambille for Nouvelle Vague
Best Production Design
Catherine Cosme for The Great Arch
Best Special Effects
Lise Fischer for The Great Arch
Best Live Action Short Film
Mort d’un Acteur by Ambroise Rateau
Best Animated Short Film
Fille de l’eau by Sandra Desmazières
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