César / Best film
Winner and nominee of the French César film award in the Best Film category (Meilleur film) since it was first awarded in 1976.
| statistics | Movie title | number | year |
| Most frequent awards | Cyrano from Bergerac | 10 | 1991 |
| The last metro | 10 | 1981 | |
| Most frequent nominations | Camille Claudel | 14th | 1989 |
| Most frequent nominations without a win | Camille - In love again! | 13 | 2013 |
The films listed below are given with their German distribution title (if identifiable), followed by the original French title and the name of the director in brackets in italics. The French original title is not mentioned if the German and French film titles are identical. The winners are highlighted first.
1970s
The old rifle (Le vieux fusil) - Director: Robert Enrico
- Cousin, Cousine (Cousin, cousine) - Director: Jean-Charles Tacchella
- When the festival begins ... (Que la fête commence ...) - Director: Bertrand Tavernier
- Quartet Bestial (Sept morts sur ordonnance) - Director: Jacques Rouffio
Monsieur Klein - Director: Joseph Losey
- Barocco - Director: André Téchiné
- The Judge and the Murderer (Le juge et l'assassin) - Director: Bertrand Tavernier
- Our way is the best (La meilleure façon de marcher) - Director: Claude Miller
Providence - Director: Alain Resnais
- Der Haudegen (Le crabe-tambour) - Director: Pierre Schœndœrffer
- The lace maker (La dentellière) - directed by Claude Goretta
- We All Go to Heaven (Nous irons tous au paradis) - Director: Yves Robert
The Money of Others (L'argent des autres) - Director: Christian de Chalonge
- Without data protection (Le dossier 51) - Director: Michel Deville
- Molière - Director: Ariane Mnouchkine
- A simple story (Une histoire simple) - Director: Claude Sautet
1980s
Tess - Director: Roman Polański
- A Woman's Love (Clair de femme) - Director: Costa-Gavras
- Don Giovanni - Director: Joseph Losey
- I like Ikarus (I comme Icare) - Director: Henri Verneuil
The Last Metro (Le dernier métro) - Director: François Truffaut
- The Loulou (Loulou) - Director: Maurice Pialat
- My Uncle from America (Mon oncle d'Amérique) - Director: Alain Resnais
- Save yourself, who can (life) (Sauve qui peut (la vie)) - Director: Jean-Luc Godard
In the beginning there was fire (La guerre du feu) - Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
- The pigsty (Coup de torchon) - Director: Bertrand Tavernier
- The interrogation (Garde à vue) - Director: Claude Miller
- Everyone will receive their wages… (Les uns et les autres) - Directed by Claude Lelouch
La Balance - Der Verrat ( La Balance ) - Director: Bob Swaim
- Danton - Director: Andrzej Wajda
- Passion - Director: Jean-Luc Godard
- A room in the city (Une chambre en ville) - Director: Jacques Demy
Le Bal - Der Tanzpalast (Le bal) - Director: Ettore Scola
On what we love (À nos amours) - Director: Maurice Pialat
- Entre Nous - Dreams of Tenderness (Coup de foudre) - Director: Diane Kurys
- On the Edge of the Night (Tchao pantin) - Director: Claude Berri
- A murderous summer (L'été meurtrier) - directed by Jean Becker
The Bribes (Les ripoux) - Director: Claude Zidi
- Love to death (L'amour à mort) - Director: Alain Resnais
- Carmen - Director: Francesco Rosi
- Full moon nights (Les nuits de la pleine lune) - Director: Éric Rohmer
- A Sunday in the Country (Un dimanche à la campagne) - Director: Bertrand Tavernier
Three men and a baby (Trois hommes et un couffin) - Director: Coline Serreau
- The Naughty Girl (L'effrontée) - Director: Claude Miller
- Danger Immediately (Péril en la demeure) - Director: Michel Deville
- Vogelfrei (Sans toit ni loi) - Director: Agnès Varda
- Subway - Director: Luc Besson
Therese (Thérèse) - Director: Alain Cavalier
- Betty Blue - 37.2 degrees in the morning (37 ° 2 le matin) - Director: Jean-Jacques Seeleix
- Jean de Florette - Director: Claude Berri
- Mélo - Director: Alain Resnais
- Evening suit (Tenue de soirée) - Director: Bertrand Blier
Goodbye, children (Au revoir les enfants) - Director: Louis Malle
- On the big way (Le grand chemin) - Director: Jean-Loup Hubert
- The Innocents (Les innocents) - Director: André Téchiné
- The Sun of Satan (Sous le soleil de Satan) - Director: Maurice Pialat
- An inseparable team (tandem) - Director: Patrice Leconte
Camille Claudel - Director: Bruno Nuytten
- In the intoxication of the deep (Le grand bleu) - Director: Luc Besson
- The Reader (La lectrice) - Director: Michel Deville
- The Bear (L'ours) - Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
- Life is a long, calm river (La vie est un long fleuve tranquille) - Director: Étienne Chatiliez
1990s
Too beautiful for you (Trop belle pour toi) - Director: Bertrand Blier
- The Engagement of Monsieur Hire (Monsieur Hire) - Director: Patrice Leconte
- Nocturne Indien (Nocturne india) - Director: Alain Corneau
- A world without pity (Un monde sans pitié) - Director: Éric Rochant
- Life and nothing else (La vie et rien d'autre) - Director: Bertrand Tavernier
Cyrano von Bergerac (Cyrano de Bergerac) - Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau
- The Hairdresser's Man (Le mari de la coiffeuse) - Director: Patrice Leconte
- Nikita - Director: Luc Besson
- The Little Gangster (Le petit criminel) - Director: Jacques Doillon
- Uranus - Director: Claude Berri
The Seventh String (Tous les matins du monde) - Directed by Alain Corneau
- Merci la vie - Director: Bertrand Blier
- The beautiful troublemaker (La belle noiseuse) - Director: Jacques Rivette
- Van Gogh - Director: Maurice Pialat
Wilde Nights (Les nuits fauves) - Director: Cyril Collard
- The Crisis (La Crise) - Director: Coline Serreau
- Indochine - Director: Régis Wargnier
- On the open road (L. 627) - Director: Bertrand Tavernier
- The flight of the butterfly (Le petit prince a dit) - Director: Christine Pascal
- Ein Herz im Winter (Un cœur en hiver) - Director: Claude Sautet
Smoking / No Smoking - Director: Alain Resnais
- Germinal - Director: Claude Berri
- My favorite season (Ma Saison préférée) - Director: André Téchiné
- Three colors: blue (Trois couleurs: Bleu) - directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski
- The visitors (Les visiteurs) - Director: Jean-Marie Poiré
Wild hearts (Les roseaux sauvages) - Director: André Téchiné
- The Favorite Son (Le fils préféré) - Director: Nicole Garcia
- Léon - The Professional (Léon) - Director: Luc Besson
- The Bartholomew Night (La rein Margot) - directed by Patrice Chéreau
- Three colors: red (Trois couleurs: Rouge) - directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski
Hass (La haine) - Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
- Happiness is in the meadow (Le bonheur est dans le pré) - Director: Étienne Chatiliez
- Biester (La cérémonie) - Director: Claude Chabrol
- A woman for two (Gazon maudit) - Director: Josiane Balasko
- The Hussar on the Roof (Le hussard sur le toit) - Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau
- Nelly & Monsieur Arnaud (Nelly et Mr Arnaud) - Director: Claude Sautet
Ridicule - On the ridiculousness of appearances (Ridicule) - Director: Patrice Leconte
- Captain Conan and the Wolves of War (Capitaine Conan) - Director: Bertrand Tavernier
- Mikrokosmos - The people of the grasses (Microcosmos, le peuple de l'herbe) - directed by Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou
- Men like it hot too! (Pédale douce) - Director: Gabriel Aghion
- Typical family! (Un air de famille) - Director: Cédric Klapisch
- Thieves of the Night (Les voleurs) - Director: André Téchiné
Life is a chanson (On connaît la chanson) - Director: Alain Resnais
- Duel der Degen (Le bossu) - Director: Philippe de Broca
- The Fifth Element (The Fifth Element) - Director: Luc Besson
- Marius and Jeannette - A love in Marseille (Marius et Jeannette) - Director: Robert Guédiguian
- Western - Director: Manuel Poirier
Love life (La vie rêvée des Anges) - Director: Erick Zonca
- If you love me, take the train (Ceux qui m'aiment prendront le train) - Director: Patrice Chéreau
- Dinner for Spinners (Le dîner de cons) - Director: Francis Veber
- Place Vendôme - Director: Nicole Garcia
- Taxi - Directed by Gérard Pirès
2000s
Beautiful Venus (Venus beauté (institut)) - Director: Tonie Marshall
- A summer in the country (Les enfants du marais) - Director: Jean Becker
- Est-Ouest - A love in Russia (Est-Ouest) - Director: Régis Wargnier
- The Woman on the Bridge (La fille sur le pont) - Director: Patrice Leconte
- Johanna von Orleans (The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc) - Director: Luc Besson
Desire for other things (Le goût des autres) - Director: Agnès Jaoui
- Murderous Maid (Les blessures assassines) - Director: Jean-Pierre Denis
- Harry means well with you (Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien) - Director: Dominik Moll
- The School of Lost Girls (Saint-Cyr) - Director: Patricia Mazuy
- Une affaire de goût - Director: Bernard Rapp
The fabulous world of Amélie (Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain) - Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
- The officers' chamber (La chambre des officiers) - directed by François Dupeyron
- Chaos - Director: Coline Serreau
- Under the Sand (Sous le sable) - Director: François Ozon
- Lip Service (Sur mes lèvres) - Director: Jacques Audiard
The Pianist (The Pianist) - Director: Roman Polański
- 8 women (8 femmes) - Director: François Ozon
- The Deputy (Amen) - Director: Costa-Gavras
- L'auberge espagnole (L'auberge espagnole) - Director: Cédric Klapisch
- Being and having (Être et avoir) - Director: Nicolas Philibert
The invasion of the barbarians (Les invasions barbaren) - Director: Denys Arcand
- Bon Voyage - Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau
- Not on your mouth (Pas sur la bouche) - Director: Alain Resnais
- Emotional Confusions (Les sentiments) - Director: Noémie Lvovsky
- The great race of Belleville (Les triplettes de Belleville) - Director: Sylvain Chomet
L'Esquive (L'esquive) - Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
- 36 Deadly Rivals (36 Quai des Orfèvres) - Director: Olivier Marchal
- The children of Monsieur Mathieu (Les choristes) - Director: Christophe Barratier
- Life is Strange (Rois et reine) - Director: Arnaud Desplechin
- Mathilde - A great love (Un long dimanche de fiançailles) - Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
The wild beat of my heart (De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté) - Director: Jacques Audiard
- The Child (L'enfant) - directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
- Merry Christmas (Joyeux Noël) - Director: Christian Carion
- A fatal decision (Le petit lieutenant) - Director: Xavier Beauvois
- Go and Live (Va, vis et deviens) - Directed by Radu Mihăileanu
Lady Chatterley - Director: Pascale Ferran
- Chanson d'Amour (Quand j'étais chanteur) - Director: Xavier Giannoli
- Days of Fame (Indigènes) - Director: Rachid Bouchareb
- Don't worry, I'm fine (Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas) - Director: Philippe Lioret
- No mortal word (Ne le dis à personne) - Director: Guillaume Canet
Couscous with Fish (La graine et le mulet) - Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
- La vie en rose (La môme) - Director: Olivier Dahan
- Persepolis - Directors: Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi
- Butterfly and diving bell (La scaphandre et le papillon) - Director: Julian Schnabel
- A Secret (Un secret) - Director: Claude Miller
Séraphine - Director: Martin Provost
- The class (Entre les murs) - Director: Laurent Cantet
- Public Enemy No. 1 - Murder Instinct (Mesrine: L'instinct de mort) and Public Enemy No. 1 - Death instinct (Mesrine: L'ennemi public n ° 1) - Director: Jean-François Richet
- C'est la vie - That's how we are, that's life (Le premier jour du reste de ta vie) - Director: Rémi Bezançon
- This is Paris (Paris) - Director: Cédric Klapisch
- I love you for so many years (Il ya longtemps que je t'aime) - Director: Philippe Claudel
- A Christmas Tale (Un conte de Noël) - Director: Arnaud Desplechin
2010s
Ein Prophet (Un prophète) - Director: Jacques Audiard
- The Savior (À l'origine) - Director: Xavier Giannoli
- Welcome - Directed by Philippe Lioret
- The concert (Le concert) - directed by Radu Mihăileanu
- Caution Longing (Les herbes folles) - Director: Alain Resnais
- Today I'm wearing a skirt! (La journée de la jupe) - Director: Jean-Paul Lilienfeld
- Ransom (Rapt) - Director: Lucas Belvaux
Of people and gods (Des hommes et des dieux) - Director: Xavier Beauvois
- The Order Lover (L'arnacœur) - Director: Pascal Chaumeil
- Gainsbourg - The man who loved women (Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque)) - Director: Joann Sfar
- Der Ghostwriter (The Ghost Writer) - Director: Roman Polański
- Mammuth - directed by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern
- The Name of the People (Le nom des gens) - Director: Michel Leclerc
- Tournée - Directed by Mathieu Amalric
The Artist - Director: Michel Hazanavicius
- Poliezei (Polisse) - Director: Maïwenn
- Father - Directed by Alain Cavalier
- Pretty Best Friends (Intouchables) - Directed by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano
- Le Havre - Director: Aki Kaurismäki
- Life is ours (La guerre est déclarée) - Director: Valérie Donzelli
- The climber (L'exercice de l'état) - Director: Pierre Schoeller
Love (Amour) - Director: Michael Haneke
- Camille - In love again! (Camille redouble) - Director: Noémie Lvovsky
- The Taste of Rust and Bones (De rouille et d'os) - Director: Jacques Audiard
- Holy Motors - Director: Leos Carax
- In her house (Dans la maison) - Director: François Ozon
- Farewell my queen! (Les adieux à la reine) - Director: Benoît Jacquot
- The first name (Le prénom) - directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière
Maman and I (Les garçons et Guillaume, à table!) - Director: Guillaume Gallienne
- 9 mois ferme - Director: Albert Dupontel
- The Stranger at the Lake (L'inconnu du lac) - Director: Alain Guiraudie
- Jimmy P. - Psychotherapy of an Indian (Jimmy P. (Psychothérapie d'un India des plaines)) - Director: Arnaud Desplechin
- Le passé - The Past (Le passé) - Director: Asghar Farhadi
- Venus in Fur (La vénus à la fourrure) - Director: Roman Polański
- Blue is a warm color (La vie d'Adèle - Chapitre 1 & 2) - directed by Abdellatif Kechiche
Timbuktu - Director: Abderrahmane Sissako
- Love at first stroke (Les combattants) - Director: Thomas Cailley
- Eastern Boys - Terminus Paris (Eastern Boys) - Director: Robin Campillo
- Do you understand the Béliers? (La famille Bélier) - Director: Éric Lartigau
- Saint Laurent - Director: Bertrand Bonello
- Hippocrate - Director: Thomas Lilti
- The Clouds of Sils Maria (Clouds of Sils Maria) - Director: Olivier Assayas
Fatima - Directed by Philippe Faucon
- Demons and Miracles (Dheepan) - Director: Jacques Audiard
- Madame Marguerite or the Art of Crooked Tones (Marguerite) - Director: Xavier Giannoli
- My one, my everything (Mon roi) - Director: Maïwenn
- Mustang - Director: Deniz Gamze Ergüven
- La tête haute - Director: Emmanuelle Bercot
- Trois souvenirs de ma jeunesse - Director: Arnaud Desplechin
- The Value of Man (La loi du marché) - Director: Stéphane Brizé
Elle - Director: Paul Verhoeven
- Divines - Director: Houda Benyamina
- The fine company (Ma loute) - Director: Bruno Dumont
- Frantz - Director: François Ozon
- The Woman in the Moon (Mal de pierres) - Director: Nicole Garcia
- Agnus Dei - The Innocents (Les innocentes) - Director: Anne Fontaine
- Victoria - Men & Other Mishaps (Victoria) - Director: Justine Triet
120 BPM (120 battements par minute) - Director: Robin Campillo
- Au revoir là-haut - Director: Albert Dupontel
- Barbara - Director: Mathieu Amalric
- The brilliant Mademoiselle Neïla (Le brio) - Director: Yvan Attal
- Life is a Feast (Le sens de la fête) - Directed by Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache
- Lieber Leben (Patients) - Director: Grand Corps Malade and Mehdi Idir
- Petit paysan - Director: Hubert Charuel
After the Judgment (Jusqu'à la garde) - Director: Xavier Legrand
- Memoir of Pain (La douleur) - Director: Emmanuel Finkiel
- Better Antoine than no trouble at all (En liberté!) - Director: Pierre Salvadori
- The Sisters Brothers - Director: Jacques Audiard
- A basin full of men (Le grand bain) - Director: Gilles Lellouche
- Guy - Director: Alex Lutz
- In Safe Hands (Pupille) - Director: Jeanne Herry
2020s
The Furious - Les Misérables (Les misérables) - Director: Ladj Ly
- The most beautiful time of our life (La belle époque) - Director: Nicolas Bedos
- Praise be to God (Grâce à Dieu) - Director: François Ozon
- Anything but Ordinary (Hors normes) - Directed by Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache
- Intrige (J'accuse) - Director: Roman Polański
- Portrait of a young woman in flames (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu) - Director: Celine Sciamma
- Roubaix, une lumière - Director: Arnaud Desplechin