AFFFF titles scoop French gongs

Several titles currently playing in the Alliance Française French Film Festival (AFFFF) were up for awards at France’s César awards on the weekend, with Love at First Fight the standout performer.

Timbuktu

Abderrahmane Sissako’s Cannes-premiered Timbuktu, seen here in last year’s NZIFF and still an Oscar contender (at time of writing), was the biggest winner in Paris on Saturday, NZ time. The film took six awards including Best Film, Director and Original Screenplay.

Titles in the AFFFF comepting for Césars included Beauty and the Beast (also seen in last year’s NZIFF), The Bélier Family, Love at First Fight, May Allah Bless France and The New Girlfriend. Love at First Fight was the night’s second most-awarded title, taking away four gongs, including Best First Feature for Thomas Cailley. The Bélier Family also left with a César.

Love at First Fight

NZIFF titles Eastern Boys, Salt of the Earth and Yves Saint Laurent were also nominated for Césars. Salt of the Earth took the doco gong. Kristen ‘Twilight’ Stewart became the first American actor to win a César, for her work in Olivier Assayas’ (Clouds of) Sils Maria, which premiered at Cannes and opens here (outside the AFFF) on 12 March via Pinnacle.

The AFFFF runs in Auckland until 8 March and tours other centres until 29 April.

The César winners were:

Best Film
Timbuktu
Best Director
Abderrahmane Sissako for Timbuktu

Best Actress
Adele Haenel for Love at First Fight

Best Supporting Actress
Kristen Stewart for Sils Maria

Best Actor
Pierre Niney for Yves Saint Laurent

Best Supporting Actor
Reda Kateb for Hippocrates

Best Original Screenplay
Abderrahmane Sissako, Kessen Tall for Timbuktu

Best Adapted Screenplay
Cyril Gely, Volker Schlondorff for Diplomatie

Best Costume
Anais Romand for Saint Laurent

Best Set Decoration
Thierry Flamand for The Beauty and the Beast

Best Cinematography
Sofian el Fani for Timbuktu