Jacques Audiard’s popular and controversial crime musical, Emilia Perez, won major prizes at the Cesar Awards, France’s Oscars, including best film and director.

The Cesar Awards celebrated their 50th edition on Friday, Feb 28, at the Olympia Theater in Paris.

The ceremony’s emcee, French actor Jean-Pascal Zadi, made fun of her while describing the movie and joked that “Emilia Perez” was “nominated for best director, best film, best actress and best tweet,” sparking mix of shock and laugher in the crowd, including on Audiard’s and Saldana’s faces. Zadi then told Audiard, “Jacques, that’s all we have left to do it, we have to laugh.”

The most relevant and politically charged movie, Souleymane’s Story, was nominated for 8 Cesar Awards, and won some, including best male newcomer for Abou Sangare who stars a Guinean immigrant in Paris where he works as bike courier ahead of his asylum interview.

Sangare delivered emotional moment when he spoke about how his work has changed his life. Last month, he finally secured a visa in France on his fourth attempt.

“Souleymane’s Story” also won best supporting actress for Nina Meurisse, and best original script, as well as best editing.

While presenting Roberts with the award, Owen said “she’s often talked about as having great chemistry with her co-stars, and it’s simply because she makes the others better. I know this from personal experience.”

“I’ve worked with her twice, and these two experiences have marked my career and have marked me too,” Owen continued.

Roberts follows in the footsteps of last year’s honoree Christopher Nolan, and stars and filmmakers who previously received the nod, George Clooney, Robert Redford, David Fincher, David Fincher, Cate Blanchett, and Penelope Cruz.

During the opening speech, Zadi quipped that Roberts could emigrate to France if she’s unhappy about the state of U.S. politics. “France is a welcoming land for political refugees,” he said, prompting her to enthusiastically bow and nod her head in approval.

The Cesar Academy is now presided over by indie French producer Patrick Sobelman and Gaumont’s senior exec Ariane Toscan Du Plantier who have the voting body more diverse.

After Justine Triet became the second female director to win a Cesar with “Anatomy of a Fall” (which also gt best film, original screenplay, actress for Sandra Huller, supporting actor for Swann Arlaud and editing) in 2024, this 50th edition is marked by the absence of women filmmakers nominated for best director.

Two Women Directors

There are, however, two women directors vying for best first film, Louis Courvoisier with “Holy Cow,” and Agathe Riedinger with “Wild Diamond.”

Zone of Interest

Fargeat’s movie was beat by Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” which was released on in France on Jan. 31. While Glazer did not attend the ceremony, the movie’s French distributor, David Grumbach at Bac Films, read fiery political speech penned by the filmmaker about the war in Gaza.

The ceremony aired live on Canal+ and was spearheaded “Call My Agent!” co-helmer Cedric Klapisch who served as artistic director.

List of Cesar Awards nominations and winners (in bold):

Best Film

“The Count of Monte Cristo,” produced by Dimitri Rassam, Jerôme Seydoux, directed by Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre de la Patelliere
“Emilia Pérez,” produced by Pascal Caucheteux, Jacques Audiard, Valerie Schermann, directed by Jacques Audiard
“The Marching Band, produced by Marc Bordure, Robert Guediguian, directed by Emmanuel Courcol
“Souleymane’s Story,” produced by Bruno Nahon, directed by Boris Lojkine
“Misericordia,” produced by Charles Gillibert, directed by Alain Guiraudie

Best Director

Gilles Lellouche for “Beating Hearts”
Matthieu Delaporte et Alexandre de la Patellière for “Count Of Monte Cristo”
Jacques Audiard for “Emilia Pérez”
Boris Lojkine for “Souleymane’s Story”
Alain Guiraudie for “Misericordia”

Best Original Screenplay

Stéphane Demoustier for “Borgo”
Emmanuel Courcol and Irène Muscari for “The Marching Band”
Boris Lojkine et Delphine Agut for “Souleymane’s Story”
Alain Guiraudie and “Misericordia”
Louise Courvoisier and Théo Abadie for “Holy Cow”

Best Adapted Screenplay

Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière for “The Count Of Monte-Cristo”
Jacques Audiard for “Emilia Pérez”
Michel Hazanavicius and Jean-Claude Grumberg for “The Most Precious Of Cargoes”

Best Actress

Adèle Exarchopoulos, “Beating Hearts”
Karla Sofía Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”
Hafsia Herzi, “Borgo”
Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”
Hélène Vincent, “When Fall Is Coming”

François Civil for “Beating Hearts”
Benjamin Lavernhe for “The Marching Band”
Karim Leklou for “Jim’s Story”
Pierre Niney for “The Count of Monte-Cristo”
Tahar Rahim for “Monsieur Aznavour”

Female Revelation

Maïwène Barthelemy for “Holy Cow”
Malou Khebizi for “Wild Diamond”
Megan Northam for “Rabia”
Mallory Wanecque for “Beating Hearts”
Souheila Yacoub for “Planet B”

Male Revelation

Abou Sangare for “Souleymane’s Story”
Adam Bessa for “Ghost Trail”
Malik Frikah for “Beating Hearts”
Félix Kysil for “Misericordia”
Pierre Lottin for “The Marching Band”

Best Supporting Actress

Élodie Bouchez for Beating Hearts
Anaïs Demoustier for The Count of Monte Cristo
Catherine Frot for Misericordia
Nina Meurisse for Souleymane’s Story
Sarah Suco for The Marching Band

Best Supporting Actor

David Alaya for Misericordia
Bastien Bouillon for The Count of Monte Cristo
Alain Chabat for “Beating Hearts“
Jacques Develay for Misericordia
Laurent Lafitte for The Count of Monte Cristo

Best First Film

“Wild Diamond” by Agathe Riedinger
“Ghost Trail” by Jonathan Millet
“The Kingdom” by Julien Colonna
“A Little Something Extra” by Artus
“Holy Cow” by Louise Courvoisier

Best Foreign Film

“Anora” by Sean Baker
“The Seed of The Sacred Fig Tree” by Mohammad Rasoulof
“The Apprentice” by Ali Abbasi
“The Substance” by Coralie Fargeat
“The Zone Of Interest” by Jonathan Glazer

Best Animated Feature

“Flow” by Gint Zilbalodis
“The Most Precious of Cargoes” by Michel Hazanavicius
“Savages” by Claude Barras

Best Documentary

“The Belle from Gaza” by Yolande Zauberman.
“Bye Bye Tiberias” by Lina Soualem
“Dahomey” by Mati Diop
“Ernest Cole: Lost and Found” by Raoul Peck
“The Bertrand’s Farm” by Gilles Perret
“Madame Hofmann” by Sébastien Lifshitz

Best Sound

Cédric Deloche, Gwennolé Le Borgne, Jon Goc and Marc Doisne for “Beating Hearts”
David Rit, Gwennolé Le Borgne, Olivier Touche, Laure-Anne Darras, Marion Papinot, Marc Doisne and Samuel Delorme for “The Count of Monte Cristo”
Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta for “Emilia Pérez”
Pascal Armant, Sandy Notarianni and Niels Barletta for “The Marching Band”
Marc-Olivier Brullé, Pierre Bariaud, Charlotte Butrak and Samuel Aïchoun for “Souleymane’s Story”

Laurent Tangy for Beating Hearts
Nicolas Bolduc for The Count of Monte Cristo
Paul Guilhaume for Emilia Pérez
Tristan Galand for Souleymane’s Story
Claire Mathon for Misericordia

Best Editing

Simon Jacquet for “Beating Hearts”
Célia Lafitedupont for “The Count of Monte Cristo”
Juliette Welfling for “Emilia Pérez”
Guerric Catala for “The Marching Band”
Xavier Sirven for “Souleymane’s Story”

Best Costumes

Isabelle Pannetier for “Beating Hearts”
Thierry Delettre for “The Count of Monte Cristo”
Virginie Montel for “Emilia Pérez”
Isabelle Mathieu for “Monsieur Aznavour”
Anaïs Romand for “The Divine Sarah Bernhardt”

Best Production Design

Jean-Philippe Moreau for “Beating Hearts”
Stéphane Taillasson for “The Count of Monte Cristo”
Emmanuelle Duplay for “Emilia Pérez”
Stéphane Rozenbaum for “Monsieur Aznavour”
Olivier Radot for “The Divine Sarah Bernhardt”