French actress Catherine Deneuve has been chosen to chair the 50th César awards - the equivalent of the Oscars in France. The ceremony will take place on 28 February 2025 at the Olympia theatre in Paris.
"Who better than an extraordinary actress to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Césars?", the Académie des Césars said in a press release on Monday
"Thanks to exceptional talent, a unique career and timeless grace, Catherine Deneuve embodies the very essence of the seventh art".
Deneuve takes over in the role of honorary president of the annual event from the French actress and director Valérie Lemercier.
It's her second time as host. Her first time was back in 1983.
Starring in more than 140 films, the 80-year-old is one of the legends of French cinema, and is no stranger to award ceremonies - having won several prestigious titles herself over her long career.
Two Césars for best actress
Her major public debut came in 1964, when she won the best actress award known as the "l’Étoile de Cristal" (the ancestor to the Césars) for her performance in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Les parapluies de Cherbourg) by Jacques Demy, which also won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Nominated a total of twelve times for the César for best actress, Catherine Deneuve has won two: for Le Dernier Métro by François Truffaut and Indochine by Régis Wargnier.
Her other accolades include lifetime achievement awards: a Golden Lion in Venice, an Honorary Palm in Cannes and an Honorary Golden Bear in Berlin.
She worked with many famous directors including Luis Bunuel, Roman Polanski, André Téchiné, Claude Lelouche, Nicole Garcia, Lars Von Trier, François Ozon and Hirokazu Kore-eda among others.
Screen goddess Catherine Deneuve adorns Cannes Festival poster
Deneuve has always maintained a busy schedule, despite a stroke in 2019, which saw her take a break from the film sets for a few months.
Recently, she appeared with her daughter Chiara Mastroianni in Marcello Mio by director Christophe Honoré, in competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
The César ceremony, a highlight of the French cinema agenda, was created in 1975 and its first edition took place in April 1976.
Initially broadcast by the public service, it has been broadcast free-to-air by private channel Canal+ since 1994.
The nominations for the 50th César will be announced on 29 January.
The 49th edition saw the triumph of Anatomy of a Fall, by Justine Triet (César for best film and best direction).
(with newswires)
