France’s César Awards ban anyone accused of sex crimes from attending the ceremony – The Hollywood Reporter
The Césars, the French equivalent of the Oscars, barred anyone charged with or convicted of a sex crime from attending this year’s ceremony. Actors, directors, producers or other artists who have been accused or convicted of sex crimes can still be nominated for a César and still be able to win the award. But they will not be allowed to attend the gala dinner, and if they win, “nobody is allowed to speak for them”.
The César Academy has recently been harshly criticized for its fair approach in dealing with members who are accused of sex crimes. Recently, things got tense when actor Sofiane Bennacer, who appeared in Valeria Bruni Tedeschi’s Cannes title. Thanh Xuan forever, was shortlisted by César in the category of best newcomer. The César Academy eventually removed him from the list after it was reported that he had been charged with multiple counts of rape and violence.
The French film industry is notoriously slow to respond to demands from the #MeToo movement to punish those accused of sexual violence and make structural changes to protect victims. Gerard Depardieu’s indictment of rape did not stop the French star from getting the job. Despite facing trial on charges of sexual assault, Dominique Boutonnat, chair of the National Film Commission (CNC), was re-elected to a second term in the powerful industry group last year. .
When Roman Polanski Wins Best Director An officer and a spy at Césars 2020, it gave up many people and caused a backlash against the academy. Polanski did not attend the ceremony, saying he wanted to avoid a “public execution.”
On Monday, Césars released a statement saying that out of “respect for the victims (even the accused)”, the accused and convicted perpetrators will be excluded from the upcoming awards ceremony. .
The move is the first step in a broader reshuffle at Césars. The Academy is discussing long-term changes to the eligibility rules that it will put up for members to vote on in the first half of this year.
Césars 2023 will take place on February 24.
