Follow French César Awards: ‘The Animal Kingdom’ & ‘Anatomy Of A Fall’ Doing Battle; Christopher Nolan Honorary Award & Expected French #MeToo Watershed Moment – Live Updates

The 49th edition of France’s César awards kicks-off at 8.45pm local time (11.45 am) at the l’Olympia concert hall in central Paris with Anatomy of a Fall vying for France’s most important cinema prizes against frontrunner The Animal Kingdom.

Thomas Cailley’s fantasy drama The Animal Kingdom has 12 nominations, followed by Justine Triet’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner and Oscar hopeful Anatomy of a Fall with 11.

Other frontrunners include Jeanne Herry’s All Your Faces, Cédric Kahn’s The Goldman Case and feature debut breakout Junkyard Dog by Jean-Baptiste Durand.

Christopher Nolan is also due to put in an appearance at the ceremony to receive an Honorary César alongside French director Agnès Jaoui, best known internationally for her 2001 hit The Taste Of Others.

Beyond the films, the main focus will be on an expected intervention by actress and director Judith Godrèche, who has set in motion a #MeToo earthquake in France in recent weeks with her public accusations of sexual assault against directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon.

Both men have denied the accusations with Doillon announcing via his lawyer this week that he was going to sue Godrèche for defamation.

It is not clear what form Godrèche’s intervention will take but Jean-Marc Juramie, Deputy Managing Director of Canal+ France which holds the broadcast rights for the show, told radio network France Info that the actress-director would have “an important role in the 49th César ceremony”.

Godrèche’s decision to break her silence comes amid a growing #MeToo moment in France which has also seen French acting icon Gérard Depardieu’s star fall in the wake of multiple accusations of sexual assault and one of rape, a development has divided the French cinema world.

Members of French entertainment workers union, CGT Spectacle, were due to hold a protest in front of the L’Olympia concert hall as stars hit the red carpet on Friday evening. Juramie said any unexpected protests within the ceremony would lead to the live broadcast being cut.