WINNERS FROM 2017 CESAR AWARDS

Even if Isabelle Huppert doesn't take home the Oscar on Sunday for her mesmerizing turn in "Elle", she knows that she's still quite loved back in her native France as the actress took the Best Actress prize for the second time at the 42nd Annual César Awards on February 24th. The controversial drama she stars in was also named Best Film. Another Oscar nominee, the moving, "Ma Vie De Courgette (My Life As a Zucchini)"  also took two awards including Best Animated Film.

I was shocked that Xavier Dolan and his sluggish family drama,"It’s Only The End Of The World" seriously took three awards including Best Director. I usually really love his films but this is far from Mr. Dolan's best work. The exceptional British film, "I, Daniel Blake" took Best Foreign Film and George Clooney received a Honorary César with the actor giving an impassioned speech, which was translated by presenter, Oscar-winner, Jean Dujardin, that not-too-surprisingly criticizes the current U.S. President

Here is a complete list of winners from the 2017 César Awards:

BEST FILM: "Elle"
BEST DIRECTOR: Xavier Dolan, "It’s Only The End Of The World"
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Solveig Anspach and Jean-Luc Gaget, "L’Effet Aquatique"
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Céline Sciamma, "Ma Vie De Courgette (My Life As a Zucchini)"
BEST ACTOR: Gaspard Ulliel, "It’s Only The End Of The World"
BEST ACTRESS: Isabelle Huppert, "Elle"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: James Thierrée, "Chocolat"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Deborah Lukumuena, "Divines"
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Pascal Marti, "Frantz"
BEST EDITING: Xavier Dolan, "It’s Only The End Of The World"
BEST SET DESIGN: Jérémie D Lignol, "Chocolat"
BEST DOCUMENTARY: "Merci Patron! (Thanks Boss)"



BEST FOREIGN FILM: "I, Daniel Blake"



BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: "Ma Vie De Courgette (My Life As a Zucchini)"



BEST ANIMATED SHORT: "Celui Qui A Deux Ames"
BEST SHORT FILM: (Tie) "Maman(s)" and Vers La Tendresse"
BEST COSTUMES: Anaïs Romand, "The Dancer"
BEST SCORE: Ibrahim Maalouf, "Dans Les Forêts De Sibérie"
BEST SOUND: Marc Engels, Fred Demolder, Sylvain Réty and Jean-Paul Hurier, "L’Odyssée"



BEST DEBUT FEATURE: "Divines"



BEST NEWCOMER (MALE): Niels Schneider, "Diamant Noir"



BEST NEWCOMER (FEMALE): Oulaya Amamra, "Divines"

WINNERS FROM THE 2016 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

The Cannes Film Festival has come to a close and the George Miller led jury has selected Ken Loach's "I, Daniel Blake" for the top prize of the Palme d'Or.  This is the second time the seventy-nine year old British writer/director has taken this prize, previously winning in 2006 for "The Wind That Shakes The Barley". He had announced that this film, about an ill carpenter’s struggle with the British healthcare system, would be his last. We'll see if Mr Loach keeps his word but he did become the ninth film maker to take that prize twice.



Another favorite of the fest is Xavier Dolan who took the Grand Prize for his latest, "Juste la fin du monde (It's Only the End of the World )". The twenty-seven year old French-Canadian received this runner-up award two years ago for "Mommy". Based on a play by Jean-Luc Lagarce, the film tells the story of a writer returning home after a long absence to announce that he is dying and features some of the top names in French cinema including Gaspard Ulliel, Nathalie Baye, Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel and Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard.



The Best Director Prize was shared by Olivier Assayas for his psychological thriller, "Personal Shopper" which stars Kristen Stewart (who was in his last feature, "Clouds of  Sils Maria") and Cristian Mungiu, the Romanian film maker who won a well-deserved Palme d'Or in 2007 for his excellent "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days", for "Graduation", a drama involving a small-town Romanian doctor. "The Salesman", the latest from Asghar Farhadi ("A Separation", "The Past"), took the Best Actor and Best Screenplay awards. And English director, Andrea Arnold won the Jury Prize for the third time with "American Honey", a road movie that features an acclaimed performance by newcomer, Sasha Lane.



Here are the winners from the 2016 Cannes Film Festival:

Palme d’Or: "I, Daniel Blake"
Grand Prix: "It’s Only The End Of The World"
Prix du Jury: "American Honey"
Best Director (Tie): Cristian Mungiu, "Graduation" and Olivier Assayas, "Personal Shopper"
Best Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi, "The Salesman"
Best Actress: Jaclyn Jose, "Ma’Rosa"
Best Actor: Shahab Hosseini, "The Salesman"


Un Certain Regard Prix: "The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki"



Caméra d’Or: "Divines"
Short Film Palme d’Or: "Timecode"
Palme d’Honneur: Jean-Pierre Léaud
Special Mention: "The Girl Who Danced With The Devil"