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François Ozon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
François Ozon
Ozon in 2022
Born (1967-11-15) 15 November 1967 (age 56)
Paris, France
Alma materLa Femis, Panthéon-Sorbonne University
OccupationFilmmaker
Years active1988–present
Websitewww.francois-ozon.com

François Ozon (French: [fʁɑ̃.swa o.zɔ̃]; born 15 November 1967) is a French film director and screenwriter.

Ozon is considered one of the most important modern French filmmakers.[citation needed] His films are characterized by aesthetic beauty, sharp satirical humor and a free-wheeling view of human sexuality. Recurring themes in his films are friendship, sexual identity, different perceptions of reality, transience and death.[citation needed]

Ozon has achieved international acclaim for his films 8 femmes (2002) and Swimming Pool (2003). He is considered one of the most important directors in the new "New Wave" in French cinema, along with Jean-Paul Civeyrac, Philippe Ramos, and Yves Caumon, as well as a group of French filmmakers associated with a cinema du corps ("cinema of the body").[1]

Life and career

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Ozon was born in Paris, France.[2] Having studied directing at the French film school La Femis, Ozon made several short films such as A Summer Dress (Une robe d'été, 1996) and Scènes de lit (1998). His motion picture directing debut was Sitcom (also 1998), which was well received by both critics and audiences.

After the Fassbinder adaptation Water Drops on Burning Rocks (Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes, 2000) came the film which made his name outside France, 8 Women (8 femmes, 2002), starring Catherine Deneuve, Fanny Ardant, Isabelle Huppert and Emmanuelle Béart. With its quirky mix of musical numbers and murder mystery and a production design harking back to 1950s Hollywood melodramas such as those directed by Douglas Sirk, the film became a huge commercial success.

In 2003, Swimming Pool, starring Charlotte Rampling and Ludivine Sagnier, was released. Ozon considered it a very personal film that gives insight into the difficult process of writing a novel or screenplay.

In 2004 he directed the film 5x2. His next film, Time to Leave (Le temps qui reste) (which one critic said explored the question "how does a frivolous person deal with his own mortality?")[3] screened at film festivals worldwide in 2005, and in 2006 it was distributed in the U.S.

Ozon's first full English-language production, Angel, starring Romola Garai, was released in 2007. The film, based on a novel by British writer Elizabeth Taylor, follows the story of a poor girl who climbs Edwardian England's social ladder by becoming a romance writer. The film was shot at Tyntesfield House and Estate near Bristol, at other UK locations and in Belgium.

While filming Angel, Ozon developed a strong friendship with Garai and called her his "muse".

His film The Refuge had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2009.

Ozon was on the jury for the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, held in February 2012.[4]

His 2013 film Young & Beautiful (Jeune & Jolie) was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.[5] Ozon was voted best screenwriter at the 2013 European Film Awards for his 2012 film In the House.[6]

His 2014 film The New Girlfriend premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2014.[7]

His film Peter von Kant, a gender-flipped reinterpretation of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 1972 film The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, premiered at the 2022 Berlin Film Festival.[8]

Awards

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Filmography

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Short film

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Year Title Director Writer Notes
1988 Photo de famille Yes Yes Also editor and cinematographer
1988 Les Doigts dans le ventre Yes Yes Also editor, cinematographer and producer
1990 Mes parents un jour d'été Yes Yes Also producer
1991 Une goutte de sang Yes
1991 Deux plus un Yes
1992 Thomas reconstitué Yes Yes
1993 Victor Yes Yes
1994 Une rose entre nous Yes Yes Also actor
1994 Truth or Dare Yes Yes Also as editor
French Syndicate of Cinema Critics - Best Short Film
1995 Little Death Yes Yes
1996 Les Puceaux Yes Yes aka "Scènes de lit. Les Puceaux"
1996 L'Homme idéal Yes Yes
1996 A Summer Dress Yes Yes L.A. Outfest - Audience Award for Outstanding Narrative Short Film
Nominated—César Award for Best Short Film
1998 Scènes de lit Yes Yes Also editor
Avignon Film Festival - Prix Panavision
1998 X2000 Yes Yes Short film
Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival - Special Mention of the Jury
2006 A Curtain Raiser Yes Yes
2007 Quand la peur dévore l'âme Yes Also as editor

Documentary shorts

Year Title Notes
1991 Peau contre peau (les risques inutiles)
1991 Le Trou madame
1995 Jospin s'éclaire Also editor

Feature film

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Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Title Director Writer Notes
1997 See the Sea Yes Yes Medium-length film
1998 Sitcom Yes Yes
1999 Criminal Lovers Yes Yes L.A. Outfest - Grand Jury Award
Sitges Film Festival - Best Screenplay
2000 Water Drops on Burning Rocks Yes Yes 50th Berlin International Film Festival - Teddy Award for Best Feature Film
New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival - Best Feature Film
Nominated—50th Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear
2000 Under the Sand Yes Yes Nominated—César Award for Best Film
Nominated—César Award for Best Director
Nominated—European Film Award for Best Director
2002 8 Women Yes Yes Lumières Award for Best Director
52nd Berlin International Film Festival - Berliner Morgenpost Readers' Jury Award
Nominated—52nd Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear
Nominated—César Award for Best Film
Nominated—César Award for Best Director
Nominated—César Award for Best Writing
Nominated—European Film Award for Best Film
Nominated—European Film Award for Best Screenwriter
2003 Swimming Pool Yes Yes Nominated—2003 Cannes Film Festival - Palme d'Or
Nominated—Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Nominated—European Film Award for Best Film
Nominated—European Film Academy People's Choice Award for Best European Film
2004 5x2 Yes Yes Nominated—61st Venice International Film Festival - Golden Lion
2005 Time to Leave Yes Yes Valladolid International Film Festival - Silver Spike
Nominated—2005 Cannes Film Festival - Prix Un certain regard
2007 Angel Yes Yes Nominated—57th Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear
2009 Ricky Yes Yes Nominated—59th Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear
2009 The Refuge Yes Yes San Sebastián International Film Festival - Special Jury Prize
2010 Potiche Yes Yes Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language
Nominated—César Award for Best Adaptation
Nominated—European Film Academy People's Choice Award for Best European Film
Nominated—Globes de Cristal Award for Best Film
Nominated—Magritte Award for Best Foreign Film in Coproduction
Nominated—67th Venice International Film Festival - Golden Lion
2012 In the House Yes Yes European Film Award for Best Screenwriter
RiverRun International Film Festival - Best Narrative Feature
RiverRun International Film Festival - Best Screenplay
San Sebastián International Film Festival - Golden Shell
San Sebastián International Film Festival - Best Screenplay
2012 Toronto International Film Festival - FIPRESCI Prize (Special Presentations)
Nominated—César Award for Best Film
Nominated—César Award for Best Director
Nominated—César Award for Best Adaptation
Nominated—European Film Award for Best Director
Nominated—Gaudí Award for Best European Film
Nominated—Goya Award for Best European Film
Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
2013 Young & Beautiful Yes Yes San Sebastián International Film Festival - TVE-Another Look Award
Nominated—2013 Cannes Film Festival - Palme d'Or
2014 The New Girlfriend Yes Yes San Sebastián International Film Festival - Sebastiane Award
Prix Jacques Prévert du Scénario
2016 Frantz Yes Yes Nominated—César Award for Best Film
Nominated—César Award for Best Director
Nominated—César Award for Best Adaptation
Nominated—Globes de Cristal Award for Best Film
Nominated—Louis Delluc Prize
Nominated—Lumières Award for Best Screenplay
2017 L'Amant double Yes Yes
2019 By the Grace of God Yes Yes
2020 Summer of 85 Yes Yes
2021 Everything Went Fine Yes Yes
2022 Peter von Kant Yes Yes
2023 The Crime Is Mine Yes Yes
2024 When Fall Is Coming Yes Yes

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
1997
César Awards Best Short Film A Summer Dress Nominated
2000
Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear Water Drops on Burning Rocks Nominated [9]
Teddy Award for Best Feature Film Won
2001
European Film Awards Best Director Under the Sand Nominated
2002
César Awards Best Film Nominated
Best Director Nominated
Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear 8 Women Nominated
European Film Awards Best Film Nominated
Best Screenwriter Nominated
People's Choice Award for Best European Film Nominated
2003
César Awards Best Film Nominated
Best Director Nominated
Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted Nominated
Lumières Awards Best Director Won
Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Swimming Pool Nominated [10]
European Film Awards Best Film Nominated
People's Choice Award for Best European Film Nominated
2004
Venice Film Festival Golden Lion 5x2 Nominated
2005
Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard Time to Leave Nominated
2007
Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear Angel Nominated
2009
Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear Ricky Nominated [11]
2010
Venice Film Festival Golden Lion Potiche Nominated
Queer Lion Nominated
2011
British Academy Film Awards Best Film Not in the English Language Nominated [12]
César Awards Best Adaptation Nominated
European Film Awards People's Choice Award for Best European Film Nominated
2012
Goya Awards Best European Film In the House Nominated
2013
Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Young & Beautiful Nominated [13]
César Awards Best Film In the House Nominated [14]
Best Director Nominated
Best Adaptation Nominated
European Film Awards Best Director Nominated
Best Screenwriter Won
2016
Venice Film Festival Golden Lion Frantz Nominated [15]
2017
Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or L'Amant double Nominated [16]
César Awards Best Film Frantz Nominated [17]
Best Director Nominated
Best Adaptation Nominated
European Film Awards Best Screenwriter Nominated [18]
People's Choice Award for Best European Film Nominated
Lumières Awards Best Screenplay Nominated
2018
Bodil Awards Best Non-American Film Nominated
Robert Awards Best Non-American Film Nominated
2019
Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear By the Grace of God Nominated [19]
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize Won
2020
César Awards Best Film Nominated [20]
Best Director Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Lumières Awards Best Film Nominated
Best Screenplay Nominated
European Film Awards Best Director Summer of 85 Nominated [21]
2021
César Awards Best Film Nominated [22]
Best Director Nominated
Best Adaptation Nominated
Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Everything Went Fine Nominated [23]

References

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  1. ^ Palmer, Tim. "Style and Sensation in the Contemporary French Cinema of the Body" (PDF). Journal of Film and Video (Fall 2006). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-02. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
  2. ^ Schneider, Steven Jay, ed. (2007). 501 Movie Directors. London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 621. ISBN 9781844035731. OCLC 1347156402.
  3. ^ Thomas, Christopher (2006). "Director François Ozon discusses his summer release". V Magazine. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Berlinale 2012: International Jury". berlinale.de. 2011-12-19. Archived from the original on 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
  5. ^ "2013 Official Selection". Cannes. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Winners 2013". European Film Awards. European Film Academy. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  7. ^ "Toronto film festival 2014 unveils first wave; Little Chaos to close". Screen Daily. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  8. ^ Manori Ravindran, "Francois Ozon’s ‘Peter Von Kant’ to Open Berlin Film Festival". Variety, January 12, 2022.
  9. ^ "PRIZES & HONOURS 2000". berlinale.de. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  10. ^ "Official Selection 2003: All the Selection". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013.
  11. ^ "PROGRAMME 2009". berlinale.de. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  12. ^ Reynolds, Simon (12 February 2012). "Orange BAFTA Film Awards 2012 winners list - in full". Digital Spy. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Cannes Film Festival line-up is announced". BBC News. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  14. ^ "Amour among contenders for 2013 Cesar Awards". BBC News. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  15. ^ "Venice Film Festival 2016". Deadline. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  16. ^ "The 2017 Official Selection". Cannes. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  17. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (24 January 2017). "César Awards Nominations: Verhoeven's 'Elle', Ozon's 'Frantz' In The Lead". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  18. ^ "European Film Awards Nominations: 'The Square', 'Loveless', 'On Body And Soul' & More". Deadline. 4 November 2017.
  19. ^ "AWARDS AND JURIES IN THE GENERATION SECTION". Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  20. ^ "Roman Polanski's 'An Officer and a Spy' Leads France's Cesar Awards Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  21. ^ "European Film Academy : Nominations for the European Film Awards 2020". www.europeanfilmacademy.org. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
  22. ^ "Emmanuel Mouret's 'Love Affairs' Leads France's Cesar Nominations". Variety. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  23. ^ "Sean Penn, Wes Anderson, Ildikó Enyedi Join 2021 Cannes Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.

Further reading

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  • Asibong, Andrew, François Ozon, Manchester University Press (2008) ISBN 0-7190-7423-1
  • Badt, Karin, "Francois Ozon's New Thriller Gains Applause at Cannes Despite Shallowness," Huffington Post (2017). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/592736c8e4b03296e2d11342
  • Cavitch, Max, "Sex After Death: François Ozon's Libidinal Invasions," Screen 48.3 (2007), 313-26
  • Padva, Gilad. "Undressed Masculinities and Disrupted Sexualities in Une Robe d'été" in Grandena, Florian and Johnston, Cristina (Eds.). Cinematic Queerness: Gay and Lesbian Hypervisibility in Contemporary Francophone Feature Films, vol. 2 (Modern French Identities 98) (pp. 215–225). Oxford and New York: Peter Lang (2011).
  • Palmer, Tim, "Style and Sensation in the Contemporary French Cinema of the Body," Journal of Film and Video 58.3 (2006), 22-32
  • Rees-Roberts, Nick. French Queer Cinema, Edinburgh University Press (2008) ISBN 0-7486-3418-5
  • Schilt, Thibaut. François Ozon, University of Illinois Press (2011) ISBN 0-252-07794-6
  • Wende, Johannes (Ed.), François Ozon, edition text + kritik (2016) ISBN 978-3-86916-511-0
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