2012 Prix Lumière - winners

Today at l'Hôtel de ville de Paris, the Académie des Lumières handed out the 17th Prix Lumière given annually to French and Francophone films.

Continuing its roll on the awards circuit, The Artist by Michel Hazanavicius was the night's big winner. It claimed Best Film and Best Actress (Bérénice Bejo) as well as a previously announced Special Mention for the dog actor Uggy. It had led with six nominations along with Bertrand Bonello's L’Apollonide, souvenirs de la maison close (House of Tolerance).

Bonello's L’Apollonide only managed a single win in the Best Female Newcomer slot. In a way, however, it added up to three awards too in that its win was a three-way tie with each of its nominated actresses Alice Barnolle, Adèle Haenel and Céline Sallette.

The Canadian film Incendies by Denis Villeneuve won the category of Best Foreign Film in French. It had been competing against fellow Canadian film Curling by Denis Cote, as well as Nadine Labaki's Et maintenant, on va où? (Where Do We Go Now?), the Dardenne brothers' Le gamin au vélo (The Kid With A Bike) and Bouli Lanners' Les géants (The Giants). Previous Canadian winners of the Foreign Film Prix Lumière were Les Invasions barbares (The Barbarian Invasions) by Denis Arcand and J'ai tué ma mère (I Killed My Mother) by Xavier Dolan.

The actress Maïwenn won for Best Director with her latest film Polisse. Best Screenplay went to co-writers Jean-Louis Milesi and Robert Guediguian for Les Neiges de Kilimandjaro (The Snows of Kilimanjaro).

The Académie des Lumières consists of over 200 members of the international press based in Paris, and is equivalent to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association who present the Golden Globe Awards.

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Complete list of winners for the 17th Prix Lumière

Best Film
The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius

Best Foreign Film in French
Incendies, Denis Villeneuve, Canada

Best Director
Maïwenn for Polisse

Best Screenplay
Jean-Louis Milesi, Robert Guediguian for Les Neiges de Kilimandjaro (The Snows of Kilimanjaro)

Best Actress
Bérénice Bejo in The Artist

Best Actor
Omar Sy in Intouchables

Best Female Newcomer
Alice Barnolle in L’Apollonide, souvenirs de la maison close (House of Tolerance)
Adèle Haenel in L’Apollonide, souvenirs de la maison close (House of Tolerance)
Céline Sallette in L’Apollonide, souvenirs de la maison close (House of Tolerance)

Best Male Newcomer
Denis Menochet in Les adoptés (The Adopted)

Special Mention
Uggy, the dog actor in The Artist