45th César Awards
The 45th César Awards ceremony, presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, took place on 28 February 2020, at the Salle Pleyel in Paris to honour the best French films of 2019. Sandrine Kiberlain presided, and Florence Foresti as the host.
| 45th César Awards | |
|---|---|
Official poster featuring a photo of actress Anna Karina, taken by Georges Dambier in 1959 | |
| Date | 28 February 2020 |
| Site | Salle Pleyel, Paris |
| Hosted by | Florence Foresti |
| Highlights | |
| Best Film | Les Misérables |
| Best Actor | Roschdy Zem Oh Mercy! |
| Best Actress | Anaïs Demoustier Alice and the Mayor |
| Most awards | Les Misérables (4) |
| Most nominations | An Officer and a Spy (12) |
| Television coverage | |
| Network | Canal+ |
Controversy and protests dogged the Academy in the months running up to the ceremony. The entire board of directors of the César Academy resigned on 13 February 2020, in response to complaints over the opaqueness of the process and the powerlessness of normal Academy members, who do not vote for nor otherwise exercise any control over the leadership of the Academy. The other issue of protest was the 12 nominations received by Roman Polanski's J'Accuse (An Officer and a Spy in English), the most nominations of any eligible film. French feminists protested heaping honors on Polanski, who was convicted of raping a minor in California in 1978 but never served his sentence, and has additionally been accused of other incidents of rape.