Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez claimed top honors at France’s 30th Lumiere Awards, held on Monday at the Forum des Images in Paris. The Spanish-language crime musical, set in Mexico, took home an impressive five awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Script, Best Actress for Karla Sofía Gascón, and Best Music for Camille and Clément Ducol. The awards were determined by a vote from France-based journalists representing 38 countries.
Emilia Pérez tells the story of Manitas del Monte, a notorious cartel leader played by Gascón, who stages her own death to transition and live authentically as a woman. The film also stars Selena Gomez as Manitas’ conflicted wife, Jessi, and Zoe Saldaña as Rita, a talented lawyer who helps Manitas start a new life. Following its Cannes success, where it won the Jury Prize and Best Female Ensemble, Emilia Pérez has received widespread international acclaim. The film is currently leading the U.S. awards race, having won Best Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes.
Audiard set a new record at the Lumiere Awards with his multiple victories. This marks his third Best Film win, following The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2006) and The Sisters Brothers (2019), and his fourth Best Director win, after A Prophet (2010), Rust and Bone (2013), and The Sisters Brothers (2019).
Another notable award went to Souleymane’s Story by Boris Lojkine, which won Best Actor for Abou Sangare. The film, which premiered at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, follows a Guinean immigrant in Paris working as a bike courier while awaiting his asylum interview.
Louise Courvoisier’s Holy Cow, a contemporary western, won two awards: Best Feature Debut and Best Male Newcomer for Clément Faveau, who plays Totone, a young man forced to take responsibility for his family farm after his father’s sudden death.
Julien Colonna’s The Kingdom, a family crime drama set in Corsica, earned Best Female Newcomer for Ghjuvanna Benedetti, who portrays Lesia, the 15-year-old daughter of a mafia boss on the run.
Mati Diop’s Dahomey won Best Documentary, a thought-provoking film exploring the restitution of colonial-era treasures. Flow, an animated feature from Latvia directed by Gints Zilbalodis, claimed Best Animated Feature, having previously triumphed at the Golden Globes.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig, an Iranian political drama by Mohammad Rasoulof, won Best International Co-Production, while Best Cinematography went to The Count of Monte Cristo, with Nicolas Bolduc honored for his work on the epic adventure.
The 30th Lumiere Awards concluded the Rendez-Vous With French Cinema, an event hosted by Unifrance to showcase French films. The awards season in France continues with the César Awards, set for February 28, 2025.
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