Giải César cho đạo diễn xuất sắc nhất
Đoạt giải và đề cử > Thập niên 1980

| Năm | Winners and nominees | Tên tiếng Anh | Tên gốc |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1980 (5th) | Roman Polanski (nominated for the Academy Award) | Tess | Tess |
| 1980 (5th) | Costa Gavras | Womanlight | Clair de femme |
| 1980 (5th) | Joseph Losey | Don Giovanni | Don Giovanni |
| 1980 (5th) | Jacques Doillon | The Hussy | La Drôlesse |
| 1981 (6th) | François Truffaut | The Last Metro | Le dernier métro |
| 1981 (6th) | Jean-Luc Godard | Slow Motion (a.k.a. Every Man for Himself) | Sauve qui peut (la vie) |
| 1981 (6th) | Alain Resnais | My American Uncle | Mon oncle d'Amérique |
| 1981 (6th) | Claude Sautet | A Bad Son | Un mauvais fils |
| 1982 (7th) | Jean-Jacques Annaud | Quest for Fire | La Guerre du feu |
| 1982 (7th) | Pierre Granier-Deferre | Strange Affair | Une étrange affaire |
| 1982 (7th) | Claude Miller | Under Suspicion | Garde à vue |
| 1982 (7th) | Bertrand Tavernier | Clean Up (a.k.a. Clean Slate) | Coup de torchon |
| 1983 (8th) | Andrzej Wajda | Danton | Danton |
| 1983 (8th) | Jacques Demy | A Room in Town | Une chambre en ville |
| 1983 (8th) | Jean-Luc Godard | Passion | Passion |
| 1983 (8th) | Bob Swaim | The Balance | La Balance |
| 1984 (9th) | Ettore Scola | The Ball | Le Bal |
| 1984 (9th) | Claude Berri | So Long, Stooge | Tchao pantin |
| 1984 (9th) | Jean Becker | One Deadly Summer | L'Été meurtrier |
| 1984 (9th) | Maurice Pialat | To Our Loves | À nos amours |
| 1984 (9th) | François Truffaut | Finally, Sunday | Vivement dimanche! |
| 1985 (10th) | Claude Zidi | My New Partner | Les Ripoux |
| 1985 (10th) | Alain Resnais | Love Unto Death | L'Amour à mort |
| 1985 (10th) | Éric Rohmer | Full Moon in Paris | Les Nuits de la pleine lune |
| 1985 (10th) | Francesco Rosi | Carmen | Carmen |
| 1985 (10th) | Bertrand Tavernier | A Sunday in the Country | Un dimanche à la campagne |
| 1986 (11th) | Michel Deville | Death in a French Garden | Péril en la demeure |
| 1986 (11th) | Luc Besson | Subway | Subway |
| 1986 (11th) | Claude Miller | Impudent Girl | L'Effrontée |
| 1986 (11th) | Coline Serreau | Three Men and a Cradle | Trois hommes et un couffin |
| 1986 (11th) | Agnès Varda | Vagabond | Sans toit ni loi |
| 1987 (12th) | Alain Cavalier | Thérèse | Thérèse |
| 1987 (12th) | Jean-Jacques Beineix | Betty Blue | 37°2 le matin |
| 1987 (12th) | Claude Berri | Jean de Florette | Jean de Florette |
| 1987 (12th) | Bertrand Blier | Ménage | Tenue de soirée |
| 1987 (12th) | Alain Resnais | Mélo | Mélo |
| 1988 (13th) | Louis Malle | Goodbye, Children | Au revoir, les enfants |
| 1988 (13th) | Jean-Loup Hubert | The Grand Highway | Le Grand Chemin |
| 1988 (13th) | Patrice Leconte | Tandem | Tandem |
| 1988 (13th) | Maurice Pialat | Under the Sun of Satan | Sous le soleil de Satan |
| 1988 (13th) | André Téchiné | The Innocents | Les Innocents |
| 1989 (14th) | Jean-Jacques Annaud | The Bear | L'Ours |
| 1989 (14th) | Luc Besson | The Big Blue | Le Grand Bleu |
| 1989 (14th) | Claude Chabrol | Story of Women | Une affaire de femmes |
| 1989 (14th) | Michel Deville | The Reader | La Lectrice |
| 1989 (14th) | Claude Miller | The Little Thief | La Petite Voleuse  |