The César Awards, the French equivalent of the Oscars, were handed out tonight (Feb. 25) during a star-studded in-person ceremony at the Olympia concert hall in Paris. Patrick Imbert’s acclaimed feature The Summit of Gods took home the Cesar for Best Animated Feature. The Annie Award-nominated feature was released by Netflix last year. Read more.
The Best Animated Short prize went to Folie Douce, Folie Dure (Mild Madness, Lasting Lunacy) by Marine Laclotte. Billed as an animated documentary, the short offers a candid and intimate look at the daily lives of several characters in different psychiatric institutions.
The best live-action feature prize went to Lost Illusions while Leo Carax, Valerie Lemercier and Benoit Magimel won Best Director, Best Actress and Best Actor Cesars of the year. Actress Cate Blanchett also received an honorary César presented by Isabelle Huppert.
Here is a rundown of the event’s animation and vfx categories:
Best Animated Feature
- Winner: The Summit of the Gods; dir. Patrick Imbert (Folivari, Julianne Films)
- The Crossing, director: Florence Miailhe (Les Films de l’Arlequin)
- Even Mice Go to Heaven, directors: Denisa Grimmova, Jan Bubenicek (Les Films de cygnet)
Best Animated Short
- Winner: Folie Douce, Folie Dure, dir: Marine Laclotte (Lardux Films)
- Empty Places, dir: Geoffroy De Crécy (Autour de Minuit)
- Le Monde En Soi, dirs: Sandrine Stoïanov, Jean-Charles Finck (Caimans production)
- Précieux, dir: Paul Max (Je Suis Bien Content)
Best Visual Effects
- Winner: Annette, Guillaume Pondard
- Aline, Sebastien Rame
- Eiffel, Olivier Cauwet
- Lost Illusions, Arnaud Fouquet/Julien Meesters
- Titane, Martial Vallanchon
Best Documentary Short
- Winner: Maalbeek, dir: Ismael Joffroy Chandoutis. Directed by Ismael Joffroy Chandoutis, Malbeek tells the story of a woman who suffers a great injury after sitting close to a suicide bomber who blew himself up in a subway train in Belgium.
For more info, visit www.academie-cinema.org/en/awards
