Melvil Poupaud, an actor in Francois Ozon’s “By the Grace of God” and Maiwenn’s “Jeanne du Barry,” will receive the French Cinema Award from Unifrance, the French promotion organization.
The ceremony will be held on Jan. 18 at the Culture Ministry during the Rendez-Vous With French Cinema market. The French Cinema Award was created in 2016 to honor actors, filmmakers and producers who have contributed to making French cinema shine abroad. Past recipients include actor Juliette Binoche, director Olivier Assayas and producers Aton Soumache and Dimitri Rassam, among others.
Poupaud started his career as a child actor in the 1980 and has worked with auteurs such as Raoul Ruiz, Eric Rohmer, James Ivory and Ozon, with whom he has made four movies. His latest film directed by Ozon, “By the Grace of God,” won the Silver Bear in Berlin and earned him a Cesar nomination for best actor. He also worked with several well-established female directors, such as Justine Triet (“Victoria”), Valerie Donzelli (“L’amour et les forets”), Carine Tardieu (“The Young Lovers”), Mia Hansen-Love (“One Fine Morning”) and Maiwenn (“Jeanne du Barry”).
Poupaud also recently starred opposite Marion Cotillard in Arnaud Desplechin’s “Brother and Sister,” which premiered in Cannes in 2022. Poupaud is also active on the TV front. He stars in the hit series “Ovni(s),” a sci-fi comedy-dramawhich has sold around the world. His upcoming projects include Christophe Honoré’s “Pres des yeux, pres du coeur,” as well as the miniseries “Dans l’ombre” based on a thriller novel penned by former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.
