ALBERT DUPONTEL’S dark comedy “Bye Bye Morons” was the big winner at the 2021 César Awards, France’s top film honor, held Friday night.

The film won seven Césars, including best film and best director. Dupontel also won best original screenplay for his script. The film also picked up the best supporting actor César for Nicolas Marié, best production design for Carlos Conti, and best cinematography for Alexis Kavyrchine. “Bye Bye Morons” also won the César des lycéens, a people’s choice award, voted on by French high school students.

The film follows a seriously ill woman who tries to find her long-lost child with the help of a blind archivist.

French-Tunesian star Sami Bouajil won the best actor César for his performance in Mehdi Barsaoui’s “A Son” as a man whose son has been gunned down by terrorists.

France’s Oscar contender, “Two of Us,” which made it onto the Academy Award shortlist for best international feature film this year, picked up the César for best first film from debut director Filippo Meneghetti. But the film’s two leads, Martine Chevallier and Barbara Sukowa, both nominated in the best actress category as women who have secretly been lovers for decades, lost out to Laure Calamy for her performance in Caroline Vignal’s rom-com “My Donkey, My Lover, and I.”

Thomas Vinterberg’s Danish dramedy “Another Round,” a favorite for the best international feature Oscar this year, won the César for best foreign film.

The 46th César Awards kicked off Friday night with French actress Marina Fois and actor Roschdy Zem hosting the event before a small, masked audience in Paris.

The first award of the night, for best female newcomer, went to Fathia Youssouf for her debut performance in Maimouna Doucouré’s “Cuties.” The 14-year-old Youssouf received her trophy from French cinema legend Isabelle Huppert.

Jean-Pascal Zadi took the best male newcomer honor for “Tout Simplement Noir,” a satire about race relations in France, in which he stars and co-directed with John Wax.

Emilie Dequenne won the best-supporting actress César for her role in Emmanuel Mouret’s “Love Affair(s).”

Stéphanie Demoustier won best-adapted screenplay for “The Girl With a Bracelet,” based on the Argentine film “The Accused.”

“Josep,” directed by French cartoonist Aurel, won for best-animated film. The 2D feature tells the largely unknown story of Spanish artist Josep Bartolí.

The best documentary César went to “Adolescentes” from director Sébastien Lifshitz, which follows the relationship between two girls, best friends since childhood, over several years.

(SD-Agencies)