The 40th ceremony of French cinema awards took place last night at Théâtre du Châtelet, in Paris.
Abderramane Sissako's Timbuktu was the winner of the lenghty event as it obtained a total of 7 Césars, among them Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Cinematography. Sissako's Oscar-nominated film will be competing Sunday for the Best Foreign Language Film. (Click here to read Jason's review of Timbuktu)
The Césars main surprizes came from the actress awards. Young Adèle Haenel won Best Actress for her performance in Thomas Cailley's Les Combattants (Love At First Fight). She was notably competing with Juliette Binoche (Sils Maria) and Oscar-nominated Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night). Binoche's co-star Kristen Stewart won Best Supporting Actress, which was the first time ever that an acting César was awarded to an American.
In addition to Haenel's César, Love At First Fight also won Best First Film and Best New Actor (Kevin Azais). Cailley's film premiered at Cannes Director's Fortnight, where it took the top prize.
Finally, Sean Penn was awarded an honorary César, which was introduced by a deeply moved Marion Cotillard.
Below is the list of all the nominees - the winner being the first entry, in bold:
Best Film
Timbuktu
Love at First Fight
Eastern Boys
The Belier Family
Hippocrates
Saint Laurent
Sils Maria
Best Director
Abderrahmane Sissako for Timbuktu
Celine Sciamma for Girlhood
Thomas Cailley for Love at First Fight
Robin Campillo for Eastern Boys
Thomas Lilti for Hippocrates
Bertrand Bonello for Saint Laurent
Olivier Assays for Sils Maria
Best Actress
Adèle Haenel for Love at First Fight
Juliette Binoche for Sils Maria
Marion Cotillard for Two Days, One Night
Catherine Deneuve for Dans la Cour
Emilie Dequenne for Not My Type
Sandrine Kiberlain for Elle l'Adore
Karin Viard for The Belier Family
Best Supporting Actress
Kristen Stewart for Sils Maria
Marianne Denicourt for Hippocrates
Claude Gensac for Lulu in the Nude
Izia Higelin for Samba
Charlotte Le Bon for Yves Saint Laurent
Best Actor
Pierre Niney for Yves Saint Laurent
Niels Arestrup for Diplomatie
Guillaume Canet for Next Time I'll Aim for the Heart
Francois Damines for The Belier Family
Romain Duris for The New Girlfriend
Vincent Lacoste for Hippocrates
Gaspard Ulliel for Saint Laurent
Best Supporting Actor
Reda Kateb for Hippocrates
Eric Elmosnino for The Belier Family
Guillaume Gallienne for Yves Saint Laurent
Louis Garrel for Saint Laurent
Jeremie Renier for Saint Laurent
Best Original Screenplay
Abderrahmane Sissako, Kessen Tall for Timbuktu
Thomas Cailley, Claude le Pape for Love at First Fight
Victoria Bedos, Stanislas Carre de Malberg, Eric Lartigau and Thomas Bidegain for The Belier Family
Thomas Lilti, Baya Kasmi, Julien Lilti and Pierre Chosson for Hippocrates
Oliver Assayas for Sils Maria
Best Adapted Screenplay
Cyril Gely, Volker Schlondorff for Diplomatie
Mathieu Almaric, Stephanie Cleau for The Blue Room
Solveig Anspach, Jean-Luc Gaget for Lulu in the Nude
Lucas Belvaux for Not My Type
Cederic Anger for Next Time I'll Aim for the Heart
Best Costume
Anais Romand for Saint Laurent
Pierre-Yves Gayraud for The Beauty and the Beast
Carine Sarfati for The Connection
Pascaline Chavanne for The New Girlfriend
Madeline Fontaine for Yves Saint Laurent
Best Set Decoration
Thierry Flamand for The Beauty and the Beast
Jean-Philippe Moreau for The Connection
Katia Wyszkop for Saint Laurent
Sebastian Birchler for Timbuktu
Aline Bonetto for Yves Saint Laurent
Best Cinematography
Sofian el Fani for Timbuktu
Christophe Beaucarne for The Beauty and the Beast
Josee Deshaies for Saint Laurent
Yorick le Saux for Sils Maria
Thomas Hardmeier for Yves Saint Laurent
Best Editing
Nadia Ben Rachid for Timbuktu
Lilian Corbielle for Love at First Fight
Christel Dewynter for Hippocrates
Frederic Baillehaiche for Party Girl
Fabrice Rouad for Saint Laurent
Nadia Ben Rachid for Timbuktu
Best Sound
Philippe Welsh, Roman Dymn, Thierry Delor for Timbuktu
Pierre Andre and Daniel Sobrino for Girlhood
Jean-Jacques Ferran, Nicolas Moreau, Jean-Pierre Laforce for Bird People
Jean-Luc Audy, Guillaume Bouchateau, Niels Barletta for Love at First Fight
Nicolas Cantin, Nicolas Moreau, Jean-Pierre Laforce for Saint Laurent
Best Animated Film
Minuscule
Song of the Sea
Jack and the Cuckooclock Heart
Best First Film
Love at First Fight by Thomas Cailley
Elle l'Adore by Jeanne Herry
Fidelio by Lucie Borleteau
Party Girl by Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger and Samuel Theis
May Allah Bless France by Abd al Malik
Best New Actress
Louane Emera for The Belier Family
Lou de Laage for Breathe
Josephine Japy for Breathe
Ariane Labed for Fidelio
Karidja Toure for Girlhood
Best New Actor
Kevin Azais for Love at First Fight
Ahmed Drame for Les Heritiers
Kirill Emelyanov for Eastern Boys
Pierre Rochefort for Going Away
Marc Zinga for May Allah Bless France
Best Original Music
Amine Bouhafa for Timbuktu
Jean-Baptiste de Laubier for Girlhood
Beatrice Thiriet for Bird People
Lionel Flairs, Benoit Rault, Philippe Deshaies for Love at First Fight
Ibrahim Maalouf for Yves Saint Laurent
Best Documentary
The Salt of the Earth by Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado
Cartoonists: Footsoldiers of Democracy by Stephanie Valloatto
Les Chevres de Ma Mere by Sophie Audier
La Cour de Babel by Julie Bertuccelli
National Gallery by Frederick Wiseman
Best Short Film
Le Femme de Rio by Emma Luchini, Nicolas Rey
Aissa by Clement Trehin-Lalanne
Inupiluk by Sebastien Betbeder
Les Jours d'Avant by Karim Moussaoui
Ou Je Mets Ma Pudeur by Sebastien Bailly
La Viree a Paname by Carine May and Hakim Zouhani
Best Animated Short Film
Les Petits Caillous by Chloe Mazlo
Bang Bang by Julien Bisaro
La Buche de Noel by Vincent Patar and Stephane Aubier
La Petite Casserole d'Anatole by Eric Montchaud