Scooping up four top prizes, including Best Film, "L'Esquive" was the bigger winner at the 30th Cesar Awards ceremony in Paris.
Released in theaters in January 2004 and bolstered by strong critical acclaim and 300,000 admissions in France, the second feature by Abdellatif Kechiche (after "Blame It On Voltaire"), was honored with four awards from the Cesar Academy this year: Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay and Best Female Newcomer for Sara Forestier.
Complete awards list:
BEST FRENCH FILM OF THE YEAR: "L'Esquive" by Abdellatif Kechiche
BEST DIRECTOR: Abdellatif Kechiche for "L'Esquive"
BEST ACTOR: Mathieu Amalric in "Rois et reine"
BEST ACTRESS: Yolande Moreau in "Quand la mer monte..."
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Clovis Cornillac in "Mensonges et trahisons et plus si affinité..."
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Marion Cotillard in "A Very Long Engagement"
BEST MALE NEWCOMER: Gaspard Ulliel in "A Very Long Engagement"
BEST FEMALE NEWCOMER: Sara Forestier in "L'Esquive"
BEST FIRST FILM: "Quand la mer monte..." by Gilles Porte and Yolande Moreau
BEST ORIGINAL OR ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Abdellatif Kechiche and Ghalya Lacroix for "L'Esquive"
BEST FILM MUSIC: Bruno Coulais for "Chorists" ("The Chorus")
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Bruno Delbonnel for "A Very Long Engagement"
BEST SOUND: Daniel Sobrino, Nicolas Cantin and Nicolas Naegelen for "Chorists" ("The Chorus")
BEST COSTUMES: Madeline Fontaine for "A Very Long Engagement"
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Aline Bonetto for "A Very Long Engagement"
BEST EDITING: Noëlle Boisson for "Two Brothers"
BEST SHORT FILM: "Cousines" by Lyes Salem
BEST FILM FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION: Jointly awarded to: "Just a Kiss" ("Fond Kiss..., Ae") by Ken Loach and "Life is a Miracle" by Emir Kusturica
BEST FOREIGN FILM: "Lost in Translation" by Sofia Coppola
HONORARY CESAR AWARDS: presented to Will Smith and Jacques Dutronc
