5th César Awards

The 5th César Awards ceremony, presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, honoured the best French films of 1979 and took place on 2 February 1980 at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. The ceremony was chaired by Jean Marais and hosted by Pierre Tchernia and Peter Ustinov. Tess won the award for Best Film.

Winners and nominees
The winners are highlighted in bold:

Manhattan, directed by Woody Allen Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola Die Blechtrommel, directed by Volker Schlöndorff Hair, directed by Miloš Forman Dominique Lavanant, for Courage - Let's Run Maria Schneider, for La Dérobade Myriam Boyer, for Série noire Ghislain Cloquet, for Tess Jean Penzer, for Buffet froid Néstor Almendros, for Perceval le Gallois Bruno Nuytten, for Les Soeurs Brontë Pierre Lenoir, for Retour à la bien-aimée Claudine Merlin, for Buffet froid Henri Lanoë, for Le Cavaleur Claudine Merlin, for Les Soeurs Brontë Thierry Derocles, for Série noire Alexandre Trauner, for Don Giovanni Théobald Meurisse, for Buffet froid Jacques Saulnier, for I... comme Icare Pierre Guffroy, for Tess Sibylle, directed by Robert Cappa Le Sculpteur parfait, directed by Rafi Toumayan
 * Best Film: Tess, directed by Roman Polanski Womanlight directed by Costa Gavras Don Giovanni, directed by Joseph Losey I... comme Icare, directed by Henri Verneuil
 * Best Foreign Film:
 * Best Actor: Claude Brasseur, for The Police War Jean Rochefort, for Courage - Let's Run Yves Montand, for I... comme Icare Patrick Dewaere, for Série noire
 * Best Actress: Miou-Miou, for La Dérobade Romy Schneider, for Womanlight Dominique Laffin, for The Crying Woman Nastassja Kinski, for Tess
 * Best Supporting Actor: Jean Bouise, for Coup de tête Michel Aumont, for Courage - Let's Run Bernard Blier, for Série noire Bernard Giraudeau, for Le Toubib
 * Best Supporting Actress: Nicole Garcia, for Le Cavaleur
 * Best Director: Roman Polanski, for Tess Costa Gavras, for Womanlight Joseph Losey, for Don Giovanni Jacques Doillon, for La Drôlesse
 * Best Writing: Bertrand Blier, for Buffet froid Jacques Doillon, for La Drôlesse Henri Verneuil, Didier Decoin, for I... comme Icare Alain Corneau, Georges Perec, for  Série noire
 * Best Cinematography:
 * Best Sound: Pierre Gamet, for Womanlight Alain Lachassagne, for Martin et Léa Jean-Pierre Ruh, for Perceval le Gallois
 * Best Editing: Reginald Beck, for Don Giovanni
 * Best Music: Georges Delerue, for L'Amour en fuite Vladimir Cosma, for La Dérobade Ennio Morricone, for I... comme Icare Philippe Sarde, for Tess
 * Best Production Design:
 * Best Animated Short: Demain la petite fille sera en retard à l'école, directed by Michel Boschet Barbe bleue, directed by Olivier Gillon Les Troubles fêtes, directed by Bernard Palacios
 * Best Fiction Short Film: Colloque de chiens, directed by Raúl Ruiz Nuit feline, directed by Gérard Marx
 * Best Documentary Short Film: Petit Pierre, directed by Emmanuel Clot Georges Demeny, directed by Joël Farges Panoplie, directed by Philippe Gaucherand
 * Honorary César: Pierre Braunberger Louis de Funès Kirk Douglas