The Artist dominates Lumière nominations

by Fabien Lemercier

20/12/2011 - Awarded, rather like the Golden Globes, to the best artists of French and Francophone cinema by foreign journalists based in Paris, the 17th Lumière Awards will be presented on January 13.

Standing out among the nominees are Michel Hazanavicius’s The Artist [trailer, film focus] (full haul with five nominations in the main categories) and Bertrand Bonello’s House of Tolerance [trailer], which has six nominations (including three for Best Female Newcomer). Other films with a fine haul of nominations are Pierre Schoeller’s The Minister [trailer, film focus] (four nominations), Aki Kaurismäki’s Le Havre [trailer, film focus] (three nominations) and hit box-office comedy Untouchable [trailer] by directorial duo Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache (two nominations). These five features will compete for Best Film, a contest that excludes Maïwenn’s Poliss [trailer, film focus], which has nevertheless been nominated in four main categories.

Vying for the Best Actress crown are Bérénice Béjo (The Artist), Catherine Deneuve and Chiara Mastroianni (The Beloved [trailer, film focus]), Valérie Donzelli (Declaration of War [trailer]), Marina Fois and Karin Viard (Poliss) and Clotilde Hesme (Angèle and Tony [trailer]).

Battling it out for the Best Actor Lumière are Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Olivier Gourmet (The Minister), Joey Starr (Poliss), Omar Sy (Untouchable) and André Wilms (Le Havre).

List of nominees:

Best Film
House of Tolerance - Bertrand Bonello
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius
The Minister - Pierre Schoeller
Le Havre - Aki Kaurismäki
Untouchable - Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache

Best Director
Bertrand Bonello - House of Tolerance
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
Maïwenn - Poliss
Aki Kaurismäki - Le Havre
Pierre Schoeller - The Minister

Best Screenplay
Bertrand Bonello - House of Tolerance
Robert Guédiguian and Jean-Louis Milesi - The Snows of Kilimanjaro [trailer, film focus]
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
Maïwenn and Emmanuelle Bercot - Poliss
Pierre Schoeller - The Minister

Best Actress
Bérénice Béjo - The Artist
Catherine Deneuve and Chiara Mastroianni - The Beloved by Christophe Honoré
Valérie Donzelli - Declaration of War by Valérie Donzelli
Marina Fois and Karin Viard - Poliss
Clotilde Hesme - Angèle and Tony by Alix Delaporte

Best Actor
Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Olivier Gourmet - The Minister
Joey Starr - Poliss
Omar Sy - Untouchable
André Wilms - Le Havre

Best Female Newcomer
Alice Barnole - House of Tolerance
Adèle Haenel - House of Tolerance
Zoé Héran - Tomboy by Céline Sciamma
Céline Sallette – House of Tolerance
Anamaria Valtoromei - Little Princess [trailer] by Eva Ionesco

Best Male Newcomer
Grégory Gadebois - Angèle and Tony
Guillaume Gouix - Jimmy Rivière [trailer] by Teddy Lussi-Modeste
Raphaël Ferret - Guilty [trailer] by Vincent Garenq
Denis Ménochet - The Adopted [trailer] by Mélanie Laurent
Mahmoud Shalaby - Free Men [trailer] by Ismaël Ferroukhi

Best French-Language Film (from outside France)
Curling - Denis Côté (Canada)
Where Do We Go Now? [trailer] - Nadine Labaki (France/Lebanon/Italy)
Scorched - Denis Villeneuve (Canada)
The Kid With a Bike [trailer, film focus] - Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (Belgium/France/Italy)
The Giants [trailer, film focus] - Bouli Lanners (Belgium/Luxembourg/France)

A very special mention for the dog-actor in The Artist

(Translated from French)