7th César Awards

The 7th César Awards ceremony, presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, honoured the best French films of 1981 and took place on 27 February 1982 at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. The ceremony was chaired by Orson Welles and hosted by Pierre Tchernia and Jacques Martin. Quest for Fire won the award for Best Film.

Winners and nominees
The winners are highlighted in bold:

Coup de Torchon, directed by Bertrand Tavernier Garde à vue, directed by Claude Miller Les Uns et les Autres, directed by Claude Lelouch Michel Piccoli, for Une étrange affaire Jean-Pierre Marielle, for Coup de Torchon Eddy Mitchell, for Coup de Torchon Gérard Lanvin, for Une étrange affaire Véronique Silver, for La Femme d'à côté Sabine Haudepin, for Hôtel des Amériques Bertrand Tavernier, for Coup de Torchon Claude Miller, for Garde à vue Pierre Granier-Deferre, for Une étrange affaire Philippe Rousselot, for Diva Bruno Nuytten, for Garde à vue Claude Agostini, for La Guerre du feu Jean Penzer, for Malevil Vladimir Cosma, for Diva Philippe Sarde, for La Guerre du feu Ennio Morricone, for Le Professionnel Francis Lai, Michel Legrand, for Les Uns et les Autres Max Douy, for Malevil Alexandre Trauner, for Coup de Torchon Hilton McConnico, for Diva Brian Morris, for La Guerre du feu
 * Best Film: Quest for Fire, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud
 * Best Foreign Film: The Elephant Man, directed by David Lynch Die Fälschung, directed by Volker Schlöndorff Raiders of the Lost Ark, directed by Steven Spielberg Man of Iron, directed by Andrzej Wajda
 * Best First Work: Diva, directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix Le Jardinier, directed by Jean-Pierre Sentier Neige, directed by Juliet Berto and Jean-Henri Roger Une affaire d'hommes, directed by Nicolas Ribowski
 * Best Actor: Michel Serrault, for Garde à vue Patrick Dewaere, for Beau-père Philippe Noiret, for Coup de Torchon
 * Best Actress: Isabelle Adjani, for Possession Isabelle Huppert, for Coup de Torchon Fanny Ardant, for La Femme d'à côté Catherine Deneuve, for Hôtel des Amériques
 * Best Supporting Actor: Guy Marchand, for Garde à vue
 * Best Supporting Actress: Nathalie Baye, for Une étrange affaire Stéphane Audran, for Coup de Torchon
 * Best Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud, for La Guerre du feu
 * Best Writing: Claude Miller, Jean Herman, Michel Audiard, for Garde à vue Jean Aurenche, Bertrand Tavernier, for Coup de Torchon Gérard Brach, for La Guerre du feu Christopher Frank, Pierre Granier-Deferre, Jean-Marc Roberts, for Une étrange affaire
 * Best Cinematography:
 * Best Sound: Jean-Pierre Ruh, for Diva Paul Lainé, for Garde à vue Pierre Gamet, for Malevil Harald Maury, for Les Uns et les Autres
 * Best Editing: Albert Jurgenson, for Garde à vue Armand Psenny, for Coup de Torchon Henri Lanoë, for Malevil Sophie Bhaud, Hugues Darmois, for Les Uns et les Autres
 * Best Music:
 * Best Animated Short: La Tendresse du maudit, directed by Jean-Manuel Costa Trois thèmes, directed by Alexander Alexeieff L'Échelle, directed by Alain Ughetto
 * Best Fiction Short Film: Les Photos d'Alix, directed by Jean Eustache Cher Alexandre, directed by Anne Lemonier Le Concept subtil, directed by Gérard Krawczyk Le Rat noir d'amérique, directed by Jérôme Enrico
 * Best Documentary Short Film: Reporters, directed by Raymond Depardon Ci-Gisent, directed by Valérie Moncorgé Solange Giraud, née Tache, directed by Simone Bitton
 * Best Production Design:
 * Honorary César: Georges Dancigers Alexandre Mnouchkine