Cerermony - Cesar 2023 : Opening of the vote and César 2023 ceremony

By Mulder, 02 january 2023

On November 23, 2022, the Bureau of the César Academy announced the withdrawal of an actor from the indicative list of Revelations 2023, and the opening of a reflection in order to consider a modification of the Rules of the Academy which does not provide, to date, the hypothesis of a legal challenge of a participant in an eligible film. This reflection was quickly initiated within the Bureau and then continued during a meeting with the Chamber of Representatives (the elected joint body that represents all of the professional cinematographic branches that make up the Academy). 

These rich and fruitful exchanges allowed to bring out the numerous questions that the Academy will have to answer, as soon as it is envisaged that certain participants will not be eligible for a César award. At the forefront of which are these questions: 
- What would be the basis for such a measure (the role and prerogatives of the Academy with regard to eligible professionals who are not all members) ?
- What would be the trigger (indictment and/or conviction, nature and degree of seriousness of the alleged offence) and the duration of the decision ?
- What criteria would govern the Academy's knowledge of the alleged offences ?
- What communication, if any, would be made of the names of persons temporarily ineligible ?
- As well as all the questions relating to the concrete implementation of the measure (its prior information, potential appeals, etc.).

Given the scope and complexity of these questions, from a moral and legal point of view, everyone agreed that it was necessary to continue the reflection by setting up a dedicated working group, to which will be invited all the personalities, associations, or competent authorities that it will seem useful to the Bureau of the Academy to invite in order to enlighten the working group with their advices or their expertise.  It is only at the end of this work, which will be held in the first semester of 2023, that a possible change of the Academy's Regulations will be proposed to the vote according to the statutory democratic methods. 

At the same time, and without presuming the outcome of this process of reflection, a consensus has emerged concerning the 2023 Ceremony. Out of respect for the victims (even if they are presumed to have been indicted or convicted), it was decided not to highlight people who have been indicted by the courts for acts of violence.

Thus, if at the end of the 1st round of voting, it is proven that a person on the list of nominees is subject to :
- either an indictment for acts of violence, particularly of a sexual or sexist nature, liable to a prison sentence,
- or a current conviction for such acts,
this person may not be invited to the Ceremony, nor to any of the events associated with it and organized by the Académie des César.

This withdrawal will also exclude any speech "on behalf of this person" during these same events - including if a César were to be awarded to him/her after the second round of voting.

The 2023 César Awards are made up of 632 eligible French and foreign short and feature films (released in France between December 1 and 31, 2022, and having obtained an exhibition permit), in which more than 3,213 film professionals participated, competing for the 24 César awards. To decide between these films and their participants, 4,705 paid-up members of the Academy (44% women - 56% men) will vote in the first round from January 2 to 24 to select the nominees, then in the second round from February 1 to 24 to choose the winners.

To ensure the sincerity of these two rounds of voting, the online voting procedure respects very demanding criteria, based on "the exhaustive and equitable presentation of eligible people and films". The anonymity of the votes (and the confidentiality of the results until the opening of each sealed envelope on the Olympia stage on February 24, 2023) are guaranteed under the control of a bailiff.
The whole process is organized by a set of rules published on the César website, which are statutorily updated by the Chamber of Representatives (composed of two elected representatives from each of the 22 professional branches) on the basis of proposals from the Bureau (composed of 12 elected representatives, including the President and the Vice-President).

The current reflection should allow these elected representatives to pronounce for the first time on the hypothesis of a legal challenge of a participant in an eligible film. The Academy's authorities have initiated this necessary reflection. It will continue in the first half of 2023 within a dedicated working group, to which may be associated all personalities, associations or competent authorities that it seems useful to consult.

(Source : press release)