Although most in the English-speaking world had their eyes firmly fixed on the American Academy Awards in California last night, the big night in French cinema took place on Friday the 12th, at the Salle Pleyel concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.
Gilles Lellouche’s “Le Grand Bain” (aka “Sink or Swim” and showing next weekend at the Cork French Film Festival) was expected by many to sweep the boards with its ten nominations but instead ended up with just one gong – the Best Supporting Actor award for Philippe Katerine. At the after-ceremony dinner in Le Fouquet’s on the Champs-Elysée, the disappointment was made all the more tangible by the absence of the entire cast (with the exception of Virginie Efira who was nominated Best Actress in another film – “An Impossible Love”).
All the main category winners, followed by the nominees are listed below…