1980 in film

The following is an overview of events in 1980 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.

Highest-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1980 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Worldwide gross revenue
The following table lists known worldwide gross revenue figures for several high-grossing films that originally released in 1980. Note that this list is incomplete and is therefore not representative of the highest-grossing films worldwide in 1980.

Events

 * April 29 – Sir Alfred Hitchcock, known as "the Master of Suspense", dies at his home in Bel Air, California, at the age of 80.
 * May 21 – The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the highest-grossing film of the year (just as its predecessor, Star Wars, was three years prior).
 * June 9 – Richard Pryor sets himself on fire while free-basing cocaine and drinking 151-proof rum. Pryor ran down his street in Northridge, California, until subdued by police.
 * June 20 – The Blues Brothers is released, and in addition to becoming one of the top-grossing films of the year, it also became the first feature film to be based on characters created on Saturday Night Live.
 * November 4 – Former Screen Actors Guild president and film actor Ronald Reagan wins the 1980 United States presidential election in a landslide victory.
 * November 19 – Heaven's Gate becomes one of the biggest box office bombs of all-time and its colossal failure bankrupts United Artists.
 * Allied Artists is sold to Lorimar Productions.

Context
Industry professionals predicted comedy films and upbeat entertainment to dominate theaters in 1980. This was a response to poor morale in a nation suffering through economic recession, which generally increased theatrical visits as audiences sought escapism and ignored romantic films and depictions of blue-collar life. The financial success and low cost of production cost of comedies such as Blazing Saddles (1974) and Animal House (1978), had further driven demand for comedies; Airplane!, The Blues Brothers, Caddyshack, and The Jerk, were all scheduled for release that year. The average cost of making films had risen to $6million which had reduced the number of films being made for niche audiences. Some studios continued to release a wide variety of films, hoping that few significant successes would compensate for other failures.

A surge of interest in science-fiction following Star Wars' release had led to many low-budget entries in the genre attempting to profit by association, and big budget entries such as Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Black Hole, both of which were released in late 1979, just months before The Empire Strikes Back.

Awards
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
 * All That Jazz, directed by Bob Fosse, United States
 * Kagemusha, 影武者 (Shadow Warrior), directed by Akira Kurosawa, Japan

Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
 * Atlantic City, directed by Louis Malle, US / Canada / France
 * Gloria, directed by John Cassavetes, United States

Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
 * Heartland, directed by Richard Pearce, United States
 * Palermo or Wolfsburg (Palermo oder Wolfsburg), directed by Werner Schroeter, West Germany

By country/region

 * List of American films of 1980
 * List of Argentine films of 1980
 * List of Australian films of 1980
 * List of Bangladeshi films of 1980
 * List of British films of 1980
 * List of Canadian films of 1980
 * List of French films of 1980
 * List of Hong Kong films of 1980
 * List of Indian films of 1980
 * List of Hindi films of 1980
 * List of Kannada films of 1980
 * List of Malayalam films of 1980
 * List of Marathi films of 1980
 * List of Tamil films of 1980
 * List of Telugu films of 1980
 * List of Japanese films of 1980
 * List of Mexican films of 1980
 * List of Pakistani films of 1980
 * List of South Korean films of 1980
 * List of Soviet films of 1980
 * List of Spanish films of 1980

By genre/medium

 * List of action films of 1980
 * List of animated feature films of 1980
 * List of avant-garde films of 1980
 * List of comedy films of 1980
 * List of drama films of 1980
 * List of horror films of 1980
 * List of science fiction films of 1980
 * List of thriller films of 1980
 * List of western films of 1980

Births

 * January 2 - David Gyasi, British actor
 * January 4
 * June Diane Raphael, American actress and comedian
 * D'Arcy Carden, American actress and comedian
 * Greg Cipes, voice actor
 * January 7
 * Hele Kõrve, Estonian actress and singer
 * Simon Woods, English actor and writer
 * January 8
 * Rachel Nichols, American actress and model
 * Sam Riley, English actor and singer
 * January 10
 * Katie Dippold, American actress, writer and screenwriter
 * Sarah Shahi, American actress and former model
 * January 16 – Lin-Manuel Miranda, American singer-songwriter and actor
 * January 17 – Zooey Deschanel, American singer-songwriter and actress
 * January 18
 * Estelle, British singer, songwriter, record producer and actress
 * Jason Segel, American actor, comedian, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, author and producer
 * January 19
 * Luke Macfarlane, American actor
 * January 21
 * Nana Mizuki, Japanese singer and voice actress
 * Kim Sharma, Indian actress
 * January 29 - Jason James Richter, American actor and musician
 * January 30 – Wilmer Valderrama, American actor
 * February 2 – Zhang Jingchu, Chinese actress
 * February 3 - Ben Turner, British-Iranian actor
 * February 6 - Ben Lawson, Australian actor
 * February 8
 * William Jackson Harper, American actor
 * Sinead Matthews, English actress
 * February 11 – Matthew Lawrence, American actor
 * February 12
 * Christina Ricci, American actress
 * Enver Gjokaj, American actor
 * Sarah Lancaster, American actress
 * February 14 – Michelle Ye, Hong Kong actress and producer
 * February 17 - Jason Ritter, American actor, voice actor and producer
 * February 21 - Brendan Sexton III, American actor
 * February 25
 * Chris Knowings, American actor
 * Christy Knowings, American actress and comedian
 * February 28 - Charles Halford, American actor
 * February 29
 * Steven Cree, Scottish actor
 * Peter Scanavino, American actor
 * March 2 - Rebel Wilson, Australian actress, comedian, writer and producer
 * March 3
 * Meiling Melançon, American actress and screenwriter
 * Katherine Waterston, American actress
 * March 7
 * Laura Prepon, American actress
 * Mart Toome, Estonian actor
 * March 9 – Matthew Gray Gubler, American actor
 * March 13 - Nathan Phillips, Australian actor
 * March 18 - Sophia Myles, English actress
 * March 20 - Mikey Day, American actor and comedian
 * March 23 - Itay Tiran, Israeli actor and director
 * March 25 - Tinsel Korey, Canadian actress and singer-songwriter
 * March 30 - Fiona Gubelmann, American actress
 * March 31
 * Kate Micucci, American actress
 * Maaya Sakamoto, Japanese singer and voice actress
 * April 4 - Collette Wolfe, American actress
 * April 8
 * Carrie Savage, American voice actress
 * Katee Sackhoff, American actress
 * April 10 – Charlie Hunnam, British actor and screenwriter
 * April 11 - Julia Chantrey, Canadian actress
 * April 13
 * Colleen Clinkenbeard, American voice actress
 * Kelli Giddish, American actress
 * April 14
 * Tom Franco, American actor
 * Claire Coffee, American actress
 * April 15 - Arian Moayed, Iranian-born American actor, writer and director
 * April 17
 * Nicholas D'Agosto, American actor
 * Samantha Soule, American actress
 * April 22 - Rodrigo Hilbert, Brazilian television presenter, actor, and former model
 * April 25 - Daniel MacPherson, Australian actor and television presenter
 * April 26
 * Jordana Brewster, American actress
 * Anna Mucha, Polish actress
 * Channing Tatum, American actor
 * April 29
 * Jo Martin, British actress
 * Damien Dante Wayans, American actor, screenwriter, producer and director
 * April 30 - Sam Heughan, Scottish actor
 * May 2 - Ellie Kemper, American actress and comedian
 * May 5 - Zach McGowan, American actor
 * May 8
 * Jasen Fisher, American former child actor
 * Kimberlee Peterson, American actress
 * May 14 - Sérgio Guizé, Brazilian actor
 * May 18 - Matt Long, American actor
 * May 20 - Cauã Reymond, Brazilian actor
 * May 22
 * Nazanin Boniadi, British actress
 * Lucy Gordon, English actress and model (died 2009)
 * Evelin Võigemast, Estonian actress
 * May 23
 * D. J. Cotrona, American actor
 * Chris Gethard, American actor, comedian and writer
 * May 25 - Will Janowitz, American actor
 * May 27 - Ben Feldman, American actor and producer
 * May 29 - Adam Brown, English actor and comedian
 * June 10 - Jessica DiCicco, American film, television and voice actress
 * June 15 - Candace Brown, American actress and comedian
 * June 16 – Sibel Kekilli, German actress
 * June 18 - David Giuntoli, American actor
 * June 19 - Neil Brown Jr., American actor
 * June 20 - Tika Sumpter, American actress, singer, producer, television host and model
 * June 21 - Preeya Kalidas, British singer and actress
 * June 23
 * Heath Freeman, American actor (died 2021)
 * Melissa Rauch, American actress and comedian
 * June 24 – Minka Kelly, American actress
 * June 26 - Jason Schwartzman, American actor, producer and musician
 * July 1 - Fortune Feimster, American writer, comedian and actress
 * July 3 – Olivia Munn, American actress
 * July 4 - Max Elliott Slade, American former child actor
 * July 6 – Eva Green, French actress
 * July 7 - Marika Domińczyk, Polish-American actress
 * July 10
 * James Rolfe, American filmmaker, actor, YouTuber and online personality
 * Jessica Simpson, American singer and actress
 * Thomas Ian Nicholas, American actor
 * Aaron Staton, American actor
 * July 12 - Kristen Connolly, American actress
 * July 15 – Jasper Pääkkönen, Finnish actor and film producer
 * July 17 – Brett Goldstein, British actor and comedian
 * July 18 – Kristen Bell, American actress
 * July 19
 * Mark Webber, American actor, screenwriter and director
 * Chris Sullivan, American actor
 * July 27 - Ewen Leslie, Australian actor
 * July 29 - Rachel Miner, American actress
 * July 30 - April Bowlby, American actress
 * August 3
 * Hannah Simone, Canadian actress
 * Teuku Rifnu Wikana, Indonesian actor
 * August 5 - Sophie Winkleman, English actress
 * August 6
 * Monique Ganderton, Canadian stunt performer and actress
 * Rory Scovel, American actor and comedian
 * August 8 – Marisa Quintanilla, American actress
 * August 9 - Stephen Schneider, American actor
 * August 10
 * Pua Magasiva, New Zealand actor (died 2019)
 * August 11 - Merritt Wever, American actress
 * August 12 - Dominique Swain, American actress and producer
 * August 13 - Álex González, Spanish actor
 * August 15 - Natalie Press, English actress
 * August 18 – Preeti Jhangiani, Indian actress
 * August 19
 * Adam Campbell, English actor
 * Aaron Horvath, American animator, screenwriter, producer and director
 * August 21 - John Brotherton, American actor
 * August 23 - Joanne Froggatt, English actress
 * August 25 – Jackie Tohn, American actress and singer
 * August 26
 * Macaulay Culkin, American actor
 * Chris Pine, American actor
 * August 31 - Leo Bill, English actor
 * September 1 - Lara Pulver, English actress
 * September 7
 * J. D. Pardo, American actor
 * Alex Hassell, English actor
 * September 9 – Michelle Williams, American actress
 * September 12 - Hiroyuki Sawano, Japanese music composer
 * September 13 – Ben Savage, American actor
 * September 13 – Cristiana Capotondi, Italian actress
 * September 18 - Charity Wakefield, English actress
 * September 19 - Benjamin Davies, Scottish actor
 * September 21
 * Kareena Kapoor, Indian actress
 * Autumn Reeser, American actress
 * September 25 - T.I., American actor and rapper
 * September 29
 * Zachary Levi, American actor and singer
 * Chrissy Metz, American actress
 * September 30 - Toni Trucks, American actress
 * October 1 - Sarah Drew, American actress
 * October 3 - Daniel DeSanto, Canadian actor and voice actor
 * October 4
 * Nick Mohammed, English actor, comedian and writer
 * Morgan Spector, American actor
 * October 6
 * David Alpay, Canadian actor, musician and producer
 * Jenny Wade, American actress
 * October 8
 * Nick Cannon, American comedian, rapper and television host
 * Nathan Head, British actor
 * October 14 – Ben Whishaw, English actor
 * October 18
 * Erin Dean, American former actress
 * Natasha Rothwell, American writer, actress and comedian
 * October 19 – Benjamin Salisbury, American actor
 * October 21 - Kim Kardashian, American media personality, model and actress
 * October 23 - Robert Belushi, American actor
 * October 24
 * Casey Wilson, American actress and comedian
 * Monica, American singer-songwriter, producer and actress
 * October 25 - Mehcad Brooks, American actor
 * October 28 - Wes Ball, American film director and artist
 * October 29 – Ben Foster, American actor
 * October 30 - Sarah Carter, Canadian actress
 * October 31
 * Samaire Armstrong, American actress
 * Eddie Kaye Thomas, American actor
 * November 1 - Dani Rovira, Spanish comedian and actor
 * November 2 - Kim So-yeon, South Korean actress
 * November 5 - Luke Hemsworth, Australian actor
 * November 8 - Brooke Lyons, American actress
 * November 9 - Vanessa Lachey, American actress, fashion model and television host
 * November 10 - Alberta Mayne, Canadian actress
 * November 12
 * Ryan Gosling, Canadian actor
 * Gustaf Skarsgård, Swedish actor
 * November 13 - Monique Coleman, American actress
 * November 18 - Mathew Baynton, English actor, writer, comedian, singer and musician
 * November 29 - Jason Griffith, American actor and voice actor
 * December 3
 * Anna Chlumsky, American actress
 * Jenna Dewan, American actress and dancer
 * December 5 - Jessica Paré, Canadian actress
 * December 9 – Simon Helberg, American actor and comedian
 * December 13 - Satoshi Tsumabuki, Japanese actor
 * December 15 - Yuri Kolokolnikov, Russian actor
 * December 16 - Michael Jibson, English actor, director, writer and voice over artist
 * December 18
 * Christina Aguilera, American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality
 * Neil Fingleton, English actor (died 2017)
 * December 19
 * Jake Gyllenhaal, American actor
 * Marla Sokoloff, American actress
 * December 22 - Chris Carmack, American actor
 * December 26 - Jared Van Snellenberg, American former actor
 * December 27 - Elizabeth Rodriguez, American actress
 * December 30 – Eliza Dushku, American actress
 * December 31 – Rosanne Mulholland, Brazilian actress