# François Ozon

François Ozon (French:; born 15 November 1967) is a French film director and screenwriter.
Ozon is considered one of the most important modern French filmmakers. His films are characterized by aesthetic beauty, sharp satirical humor and a free-wheeling view of human sexuality. Recurring themes in his films are friendship, sexual identity, different perceptions of reality, transience and death.
Ozon has achieved international acclaim for his films 8 femmes (2002) and Swimming Pool (2003). He is considered one of the most important directors in the new "New Wave" in French cinema, along with Jean-Paul Civeyrac, Philippe Ramos, and Yves Caumon, as well as a group of French filmmakers associated with a cinema du corps ("cinema of the body").

## Life and career

Ozon was born in Paris, France. Having studied directing at the French film school La Femis, Ozon made several short films such as A Summer Dress (Une robe d'été, 1996) and Scènes de lit (1998). His motion picture directing debut was Sitcom (also 1998), which was well received by both critics and audiences.
After the Fassbinder adaptation Water Drops on Burning Rocks (Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes, 2000) came the film which made his name outside France, 8 Women (8 femmes, 2002), starring Catherine Deneuve, Fanny Ardant, Isabelle Huppert and Emmanuelle Béart. With its quirky mix of musical numbers and murder mystery and a production design harking back to 1950s Hollywood melodramas such as those directed by Douglas Sirk, the film became a huge commercial success.
In 2003, Swimming Pool, starring Charlotte Rampling and Ludivine Sagnier, was released. Ozon considered it a very personal film that gives insight into the difficult process of writing a novel or screenplay.
In 2004 he directed the film 5x2. His next film, Time to Leave (Le temps qui reste) (which one critic said explored the question "how does a frivolous person deal with his own mortality?") screened at film festivals worldwide in 2005, and in 2006 it was distributed in the U.S.
Ozon's first full English-language production, Angel, starring Romola Garai, was released in 2007. The film, based on a novel by British writer Elizabeth Taylor, follows the story of a poor girl who climbs Edwardian England's social ladder by becoming a romance writer. The film was shot at Tyntesfield House and Estate near Bristol, at other UK locations and in Belgium.
While filming Angel, Ozon developed a strong friendship with Garai and called her his "muse".
His film The Refuge had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2009.
Ozon was on the jury for the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, held in February 2012.
His 2013 film Young & Beautiful (Jeune & Jolie) was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Ozon was voted best screenwriter at the 2013 European Film Awards for his 2012 film In the House.
His 2014 film The New Girlfriend premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2014.
His film Peter von Kant, a gender-flipped reinterpretation of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 1972 film The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, premiered at the 2022 Berlin Film Festival.

## Awards

* 1999: Seattle International Film Festival - Emerging Masters Showcase Award
* 2004: Filmfest Hamburg - Douglas-Sirk-Award
* 2006: Frameline Film Festival - Frameline Award
* 2011: Jameson Dublin International Film Festival - Career Achievement Award

## Filmography
### Short film

| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
| 1988 | Photo de famille | Yes | Yes | Also editor and cinematographer |
| 1988 | Les Doigts dans le ventre | Yes | Yes | Also editor, cinematographer and producer |
| 1990 | Mes parents un jour d'été | Yes | Yes | Also producer |
| 1991 | Une goutte de sang | Yes | | |
| 1991 | Deux plus un | Yes | | |
| 1992 | Thomas reconstitué | Yes | Yes | |
| 1993 | Victor | Yes | Yes | |
| 1994 | Une rose entre nous | Yes | Yes | Also actor |
| 1994 | Truth or Dare | Yes | Yes | Also as editor French Syndicate of Cinema Critics - Best Short Film |
| 1995 | Little Death | Yes | Yes | |
| 1996 | Les Puceaux | Yes | Yes | aka "Scènes de lit. Les Puceaux" |
| 1996 | L'Homme idéal | Yes | Yes | |
| 1996 | A Summer Dress | Yes | Yes | L.A. Outfest - Audience Award for Outstanding Narrative Short Film Nominated—César Award for Best Short Film |
| 1998 | Scènes de lit | Yes | Yes | Also editor Avignon Film Festival - Prix Panavision |
| 1998 | X2000 | Yes | Yes | Short film Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival - Special Mention of the Jury |
| 2006 | A Curtain Raiser | Yes | Yes | |
| 2007 | Quand la peur dévore l'âme | Yes | | Also as editor |
Documentary shorts
| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1991 | Peau contre peau (les risques inutiles) | |
| 1991 | Le Trou madame | |
| 1995 | Jospin s'éclaire | Also editor |

### Feature film

| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
| 1997 | See the Sea | Yes | Yes | Medium-length film |
| 1998 | Sitcom | Yes | Yes | |
| 1999 | Criminal Lovers | Yes | Yes | L.A. Outfest - Grand Jury Award Sitges Film Festival - Best Screenplay |
| 2000 | Water Drops on Burning Rocks | Yes | Yes | 50th Berlin International Film Festival - Teddy Award for Best Feature Film New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival - Best Feature Film Nominated—50th Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear |
| 2000 | Under the Sand | Yes | Yes | Nominated—César Award for Best Film Nominated—César Award for Best Director Nominated—European Film Award for Best Director |
| 2002 | 8 Women | Yes | Yes | Lumières Award for Best Director 52nd Berlin International Film Festival - Berliner Morgenpost Readers' Jury Award Nominated—52nd Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear Nominated—César Award for Best Film Nominated—César Award for Best Director Nominated—César Award for Best Writing Nominated—European Film Award for Best Film Nominated—European Film Award for Best Screenwriter |
| 2003 | Swimming Pool | Yes | Yes | Nominated—2003 Cannes Film Festival - Palme d'Or Nominated—Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Foreign Language Film Nominated—European Film Award for Best Film Nominated—European Film Academy People's Choice Award for Best European Film |
| 2004 | 5x2 | Yes | Yes | Nominated—61st Venice International Film Festival - Golden Lion |
| 2005 | Time to Leave | Yes | Yes | Valladolid International Film Festival - Silver Spike Nominated—2005 Cannes Film Festival - Prix Un certain regard |
| 2007 | Angel | Yes | Yes | Nominated—57th Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear |
| 2009 | Ricky | Yes | Yes | Nominated—59th Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear |
| 2009 | The Refuge | Yes | Yes | San Sebastián International Film Festival - Special Jury Prize |
| 2010 | Potiche | Yes | Yes | Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language Nominated—César Award for Best Adaptation Nominated—European Film Academy People's Choice Award for Best European Film Nominated—Globes de Cristal Award for Best Film Nominated—Magritte Award for Best Foreign Film in Coproduction Nominated—67th Venice International Film Festival - Golden Lion |
| 2012 | In the House | Yes | Yes | European Film Award for Best Screenwriter RiverRun International Film Festival - Best Narrative Feature RiverRun International Film Festival - Best Screenplay San Sebastián International Film Festival - Golden Shell San Sebastián International Film Festival - Best Screenplay 2012 Toronto International Film Festival - FIPRESCI Prize (Special Presentations) Nominated—César Award for Best Film Nominated—César Award for Best Director Nominated—César Award for Best Adaptation Nominated—European Film Award for Best Director Nominated—Gaudí Award for Best European Film Nominated—Goya Award for Best European Film Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Adapted Screenplay |
| 2013 | Young & Beautiful | Yes | Yes | San Sebastián International Film Festival - TVE-Another Look Award Nominated—2013 Cannes Film Festival - Palme d'Or |
| 2014 | The New Girlfriend | Yes | Yes | San Sebastián International Film Festival - Sebastiane Award Prix Jacques Prévert du Scénario |
| 2016 | Frantz | Yes | Yes | Nominated—César Award for Best Film Nominated—César Award for Best Director Nominated—César Award for Best Adaptation Nominated—Globes de Cristal Award for Best Film Nominated—Louis Delluc Prize Nominated—Lumières Award for Best Screenplay |
| 2017 | L'Amant double | Yes | Yes | |
| 2019 | By the Grace of God | Yes | Yes | |
| 2020 | Summer of 85 | Yes | Yes | |
| 2021 | Everything Went Fine | Yes | Yes | |
| 2022 | Peter von Kant | Yes | Yes | |
| 2023 | The Crime Is Mine | Yes | Yes | |
| 2024 | When Fall Is Coming | Yes | Yes |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 1997 | César Awards | Best Short Film | A Summer Dress | Nominated |
| 2000 | Berlin Film Festival | Golden Bear | Water Drops on Burning Rocks | Nominated |
| 2000 | Berlin Film Festival | Teddy Award for Best Feature Film | Water Drops on Burning Rocks | Won |
| 2001 | European Film Awards | Best Director | Under the Sand | Nominated |
| 2002 | César Awards | Best Film | Under the Sand | Nominated |
| 2002 | César Awards | Best Director | Under the Sand | Nominated |
| 2002 | Berlin Film Festival | Golden Bear | 8 Women | Nominated |
| 2002 | European Film Awards | Best Film | 8 Women | Nominated |
| 2002 | European Film Awards | Best Screenwriter | 8 Women | Nominated |
| 2002 | European Film Awards | People's Choice Award for Best European Film | 8 Women | Nominated |
| 2003 | César Awards | Best Film | 8 Women | Nominated |
| 2003 | César Awards | Best Director | 8 Women | Nominated |
| 2003 | César Awards | Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted | 8 Women | Nominated |
| 2003 | Lumières Awards | Best Director | 8 Women | Won |
| 2003 | Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | Swimming Pool | Nominated |
| 2003 | European Film Awards | Best Film | Swimming Pool | Nominated |
| 2003 | European Film Awards | People's Choice Award for Best European Film | Swimming Pool | Nominated |
| 2004 | Venice Film Festival | Golden Lion | 5x2 | Nominated |
| 2005 | Cannes Film Festival | Un Certain Regard | Time to Leave | Nominated |
| 2007 | Berlin Film Festival | Golden Bear | Angel | Nominated |
| 2009 | Berlin Film Festival | Golden Bear | Ricky | Nominated |
| 2010 | Venice Film Festival | Golden Lion | Potiche | Nominated |
| 2010 | Venice Film Festival | Queer Lion | Potiche | Nominated |
| 2011 | British Academy Film Awards | Best Film Not in the English Language | Potiche | Nominated |
| 2011 | César Awards | Best Adaptation | Potiche | Nominated |
| 2011 | European Film Awards | People's Choice Award for Best European Film | Potiche | Nominated |
| 2012 | Goya Awards | Best European Film | In the House | Nominated |
| 2013 | Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | Young & Beautiful | Nominated |
| 2013 | César Awards | Best Film | In the House | Nominated |
| 2013 | César Awards | Best Director | In the House | Nominated |
| 2013 | César Awards | Best Adaptation | In the House | Nominated |
| 2013 | European Film Awards | Best Director | In the House | Nominated |
| 2013 | European Film Awards | Best Screenwriter | In the House | Won |
| 2016 | Venice Film Festival | Golden Lion | Frantz | Nominated |
| 2017 | Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | L'Amant double | Nominated |
| 2017 | César Awards | Best Film | Frantz | Nominated |
| 2017 | César Awards | Best Director | Frantz | Nominated |
| 2017 | César Awards | Best Adaptation | Frantz | Nominated |
| 2017 | European Film Awards | Best Screenwriter | Frantz | Nominated |
| 2017 | European Film Awards | People's Choice Award for Best European Film | Frantz | Nominated |
| 2017 | Lumières Awards | Best Screenplay | Frantz | Nominated |
| 2018 | Bodil Awards | Best Non-American Film | Frantz | Nominated |
| 2018 | Robert Awards | Best Non-American Film | Frantz | Nominated |
| 2019 | Berlin Film Festival | Golden Bear | By the Grace of God | Nominated |
| 2019 | Berlin Film Festival | Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize | By the Grace of God | Won |
| 2020 | César Awards | Best Film | By the Grace of God | Nominated |
| 2020 | César Awards | Best Director | By the Grace of God | Nominated |
| 2020 | César Awards | Best Original Screenplay | By the Grace of God | Nominated |
| 2020 | Lumières Awards | Best Film | By the Grace of God | Nominated |
| 2020 | Lumières Awards | Best Screenplay | By the Grace of God | Nominated |
| 2020 | European Film Awards | Best Director | Summer of 85 | Nominated |
| 2021 | César Awards | Best Film | Summer of 85 | Nominated |
| 2021 | César Awards | Best Director | Summer of 85 | Nominated |
| 2021 | César Awards | Best Adaptation | Summer of 85 | Nominated |
| 2021 | Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | Everything Went Fine | Nominated |