François Ozon

{{Short description|French film director and screenwriter (born 1967)}} {{Infobox person | name = François Ozon | image = François Ozon at 82nd Venice International Film Festival-2 (cropped).jpg | caption = Ozon in 2025 | birthname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|11|15|df=y}} | birth_place = Paris, France | occupation = Filmmaker | alma_mater = {{hlist|La Femis|Panthéon-Sorbonne University}} | years_active = 1988–present | website = {{url|www.francois-ozon.com}} }}

'''François Ozon''' ({{IPA|fr|fʁɑ̃swa ozɔ̃|lang}}; born 15 November 1967) is a French film director and screenwriter.

Ozon is considered one of the most important modern French filmmakers.<ref>{{Cite web | title=François Ozon: France’s most prolific directors - France Today | url=https://francetoday.com/culture/francois-ozon-one-of-frances-most-prolific-directors/ | access-date=2025-08-31 | website=francetoday.com}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Francois Ozon – Museum of the Moving Image | url=https://movingimage.org/programs/francois-ozon/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525014554/https://movingimage.org/programs/francois-ozon/ | access-date=2025-08-31 | archive-date=2024-05-25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title="The Sensual, the Monstrous, and the Everyday in the Cinemas of Claire " by Amy E. Bertram | url=https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/2677/ | access-date=2025-08-31 | website=trace.tennessee.edu}}</ref>

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").<ref name=jq>{{cite journal |url=http://www.uncwil.edu/filmstudies/faculty/documents/PalmerJFVarticle.pdf |title=Style and Sensation in the Contemporary French Cinema of the Body |author=Palmer, Tim |journal=Journal of Film and Video |issue=Fall 2006 |access-date=2010-05-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602235125/http://www.uncwil.edu/filmstudies/faculty/documents/PalmerJFVarticle.pdf |archive-date=2010-06-02 }}</ref>

== Life and career == Ozon was born in Paris, France.<ref>{{cite book|title=501 Movie Directors|editor-first=Steven Jay|editor-last=Schneider|publisher=Cassell Illustrated|location=London|year=2007|page=621|isbn=9781844035731|oclc=1347156402}}</ref> 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?")<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.vmagazine.com/feature_article.php?n=158 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070108171445/http://www.vmagazine.com/feature_article.php?n=158 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-01-08 |author=Thomas, Christopher |magazine=V Magazine |title=Director François Ozon discusses his summer release|year=2006 |access-date=20 June 2024}}</ref> 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.<ref name="BerlinJury">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_11861.html |title=Berlinale 2012: International Jury |date=2011-12-19 |access-date=2011-12-21 |work=berlinale.de |archive-date=2012-01-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118192826/http://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_11861.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

His 2013 film ''Young & Beautiful'' (''Jeune & Jolie'') was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.<ref name="Cannes2013">{{cite web|url=http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/59652.html |title=2013 Official Selection|date=18 April 2013|access-date=18 April 2013|work=Cannes}}</ref> Ozon was voted best screenwriter at the 2013 European Film Awards for his 2012 film ''In the House''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Winners 2013 |url=http://www.europeanfilmawards.eu/en_EN/efanight/winners |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224032456/http://www.europeanfilmawards.eu/en_EN/efanight/winners |archive-date=24 February 2014 |access-date=9 December 2013 |work=European Film Awards |publisher=European Film Academy}}</ref>

His 2014 film ''The New Girlfriend'' premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/toronto/toronto-2014-unveils-first-wave/5075454.article |title=Toronto film festival 2014 unveils first wave; Little Chaos to close |access-date=22 July 2014 |work=Screen Daily}}</ref>

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.<ref>Manori Ravindran, [https://variety.com/2022/film/global/francois-ozon-peter-von-kant-berlin-1235152222/ "Francois Ozon’s ‘Peter Von Kant’ to Open Berlin Film Festival"]. ''Variety'', January 12, 2022.</ref>

== 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=== {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Title ! width=65 |Director ! width=65 |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 | ''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'' ''(Le trou noir ~ Monsieur propre ~ Madame ~ Tête-bêche ~ L'homme idéal ~ Love in the dark ~ Les puceaux)'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Also editor Avignon Film Festival - Prix Panavision |- | 1998 | ''X2000'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |Short film (6 minutes) 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''' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Notes |- | 1991 | ''Peau contre peau (les risques inutiles)'' | |- | 1991 | ''Le Trou madame'' | |- | 1995 | ''Jospin s'éclaire'' | Also editor |}

==Awards and nominations== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;" ! scope="col" style="width:4%;" | Year ! scope="col" style="width:20%;" | Award ! scope="col" style="width:20%;" | Category ! scope="col" style="width:25%;" | Work ! scope="col" style="width:7%;" | Result ! scope="col" style="width:5%;" | Ref. |- | {{center|1997}} | César Awards | Best Short Film | ''A Summer Dress'' | {{nom}} | |- | rowspan="2"|{{center|2000}} | rowspan="2"|Berlin Film Festival | Golden Bear | rowspan="2"|''Water Drops on Burning Rocks'' | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/2000/03_preistr_ger_2000/03_Preistraeger_2000.html |title=PRIZES & HONOURS 2000|access-date=9 June 2014 |work=berlinale.de| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015121139/http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/2000/03_preistr_ger_2000/03_Preistraeger_2000.html| archive-date=15 October 2013 | url-status= live}}</ref> |- | Teddy Award for Best Feature Film | {{won}} |- | {{center|2001}} | European Film Awards | Best Director | rowspan="3"|''Under the Sand'' | {{nom}} | |- | rowspan="6"|{{center|2002}} | rowspan="2"|César Awards | Best Film | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"| |- | Best Director | {{nom}} |- | Berlin Film Festival | Golden Bear | rowspan="8"|''8 Women'' | {{nom}} | |- | rowspan="3"|European Film Awards | Best Film | {{nom}} | rowspan="3"| |- | Best Screenwriter | {{nom}} |- | People's Choice Award for Best European Film | {{nom}} |- | rowspan="7"|{{center|2003}} | rowspan="3"|César Awards | Best Film | {{nom}} | rowspan="3"| |- | Best Director | {{nom}} |- | Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted | {{nom}} |- | Lumière Awards | Best Director | {{won}} | |- | Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | rowspan="3"|''Swimming Pool'' | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/archives/2003/allSelections.html |title=Official Selection 2003: All the Selection |work=festival-cannes.fr |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214204119/http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/archives/2003/allSelections.html |archive-date=14 December 2013 |df=dmy}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"|European Film Awards | Best Film | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"| |- | People's Choice Award for Best European Film | {{nom}} |- | {{center|2004}} | Venice Film Festival | Golden Lion | ''5x2'' | {{nom}} | |- | {{center|2005}} | Cannes Film Festival | Un Certain Regard | ''Time to Leave'' | {{nom}} | |- | {{center|2007}} | Berlin Film Festival | Golden Bear | ''Angel'' | {{nom}} | |- | {{center|2009}} | Berlin Film Festival | Golden Bear | ''Ricky'' | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/2009/02_programm_2009/02_Programm_2009.html |title=PROGRAMME 2009|access-date=10 June 2014 |work=berlinale.de| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131109180506/https://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/2009/02_programm_2009/02_Programm_2009.html| archive-date=9 November 2013 | url-status= live}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"|{{center|2010}} | rowspan="2"|Venice Film Festival | Golden Lion | rowspan="5"|''Potiche'' | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"| |- | Queer Lion | {{nom}} |- | rowspan="3"|{{center|2011}} | British Academy Film Awards | Best Film Not in the English Language | {{nom}} | <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/baftas/a364820/orange-bafta-film-awards-2012-winners-list-in-full/|title=Orange BAFTA Film Awards 2012 winners list - in full|work=Digital Spy|first=Simon|last=Reynolds|date=12 February 2012|access-date=25 June 2021}}</ref> |- | César Awards | Best Adaptation | {{nom}} | |- | European Film Awards | People's Choice Award for Best European Film | {{nom}} | |- | {{center|2012}} | Goya Awards | Best European Film | ''In the House'' | {{nom}} | |- | rowspan="6"|{{center|2013}} | Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | ''Young & Beautiful'' | {{nom}} | <ref name="BBCInComp">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22198476 |title=Cannes Film Festival line-up is announced |date=18 April 2013 |work=BBC News |access-date=26 May 2017}}</ref> |- | rowspan="3"|César Awards | Best Film | rowspan="5"| ''In the House'' | {{nom}} | rowspan="3"|<ref name="BBC-César">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21198923 |title=''Amour'' among contenders for 2013 Cesar Awards |access-date=26 January 2013 |work=BBC News|date=25 January 2013 }}</ref> |- | Best Director | {{nom}} |- | Best Adaptation | {{nom}} |- | rowspan="2"|European Film Awards | Best Director | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"| |- | Best Screenwriter | {{won}} |- | {{center|2016}} | Venice Film Festival | Golden Lion | ''Frantz'' | {{nom}} | <ref name="Deadline">{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2016/07/venice-film-festival-2016-lineup-full-list-1201794095/ |title=Venice Film Festival 2016|date=28 July 2016 |work=Deadline |access-date=28 July 2016}}</ref> |- | rowspan="7"|{{center|2017}} | Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | ''L'Amant double'' | {{nom}} | <ref name="Main">{{cite web|url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/festival/selection/competition-1 |title=The 2017 Official Selection |work=Cannes |date=13 April 2017 |access-date=25 May 2017}}</ref> |- | rowspan="3"|César Awards | Best Film | rowspan="8"| ''Frantz'' | {{nom}} | rowspan="3"|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/01/cesar-nominations-2017-elle-isabelle-huppert-roman-polanski-full-list-1201893753/|title=César Awards Nominations: Verhoeven's 'Elle', Ozon's 'Frantz' In The Lead|first=Nancy|last=Tartaglione|date=24 January 2017|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=24 January 2017}}</ref> |- | Best Director | {{nom}} |- | Best Adaptation | {{nom}} |- | rowspan="2"|European Film Awards | Best Screenwriter | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/11/european-film-awards-nominations-2017-the-square-loveless-on-body-and-soul-full-list-1202201849/|title=European Film Awards Nominations: 'The Square', 'Loveless', 'On Body And Soul' & More|work=Deadline|date=4 November 2017}}</ref> |- | People's Choice Award for Best European Film | {{nom}} |- | Lumière Awards | Best Screenplay | {{nom}} | |- | rowspan="2"|{{center|2018}} | Bodil Awards | Best Non-American Film | {{nom}} | |- | Robert Awards | Best Non-American Film | {{nom}} | |- | rowspan="2"|{{center|2019}} | rowspan="2"|Berlin Film Festival | Golden Bear | rowspan="7"|''By the Grace of God'' | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/das_festival/preise_und_juries/preise_generation/index.html|title=AWARDS AND JURIES IN THE GENERATION SECTION|access-date=16 February 2019}}</ref> |- | Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize | {{won}} |- | rowspan="6"|{{center|2020}} | rowspan="3"|César Awards | Best Film | {{nom}} | rowspan="3"|<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/cesar-awards-2020-nominations-unveiled-1270200|title = Roman Polanski's 'An Officer and a Spy' Leads France's Cesar Awards Nominations|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date= 29 January 2020|access-date= 29 January 2020}}</ref> |- | Best Director | {{nom}} |- | Best Original Screenplay | {{nom}} |- | rowspan="2"|Lumière Awards | Best Film | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"| |- | Best Screenplay | {{nom}} |- | European Film Awards | Best Director | rowspan="4"|''Summer of 85'' | {{nom}} | <ref>{{Cite web|title=European Film Academy : Nominations for the European Film Awards 2020|url=https://www.europeanfilmacademy.org/News-detail.155.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=852&cHash=eecbfdcf73217396965b69450feaf58f|access-date=2020-11-10|website=www.europeanfilmacademy.org}}</ref> |- | rowspan="4"|{{center|2021}} | rowspan="3"|César Awards | Best Film | {{nom}} | rowspan="3"|<ref>{{cite web|url = https://variety.com/2021/film/global/emmanuel-mourets-love-affairs-leads-frances-cesar-nominations-1234904759/|title = Emmanuel Mouret's 'Love Affairs' Leads France's Cesar Nominations|work=Variety|date= 10 February 2021|access-date= 10 February 2021}}</ref> |- | Best Director | {{nom}} |- | Best Adaptation | {{nom}} |- | Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | ''Everything Went Fine'' | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2021-cannes-lineup-1234961248/ |title=Sean Penn, Wes Anderson, Ildikó Enyedi Join 2021 Cannes Lineup |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=3 June 2021 |access-date=3 June 2021}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"|{{center|2022}} | rowspan="2"|Berlin Film Festival | Golden Bear | rowspan="2"|''Peter von Kant'' | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"| |- | Teddy Award for Best Feature Film | {{nom}} |- | rowspan="2"|{{center|2025}} | rowspan="2"|Lumière Awards | Best Director | rowspan="2"|''When Fall Is Coming'' | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"| |- | Best Screenplay | {{nom}} |}

== References == {{reflist}}

==Further reading== *Asibong, Andrew, ''François Ozon'', Manchester University Press (2008) {{ISBN|0-7190-7423-1}} *Badt, Karin, "Francois Ozon's New Thriller Gains Applause at Cannes Despite Shallowness," ''Huffington Post'' (2017). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/592736c8e4b03296e2d11342 *Cavitch, Max, [https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~cavitch/pdf-library/Cavitch_Sex_after_Death.pdf "Sex After Death: François Ozon's Libidinal Invasions,"] ''Screen'' 48.3 (2007), 313-26 * Padva, Gilad. "Undressed Masculinities and Disrupted Sexualities in Une Robe d'été" in Grandena, Florian and Johnston, Cristina (Eds.). ''Cinematic Queerness: Gay and Lesbian Hypervisibility in Contemporary Francophone Feature Films'', vol. 2 (''Modern French Identities'' 98) (pp. 215–225). Oxford and New York: Peter Lang (2011). *Palmer, Tim, "Style and Sensation in the Contemporary French Cinema of the Body," ''Journal of Film and Video'' 58.3 (2006), 22-32 * Rees-Roberts, Nick. ''French Queer Cinema'', Edinburgh University Press (2008) {{ISBN|0-7486-3418-5}} * Schilt, Thibaut. ''François Ozon'', University of Illinois Press (2011) {{ISBN|0-252-07794-6}} * Wende, Johannes (Ed.), ''François Ozon'', edition text + kritik (2016) {{ISBN|978-3-86916-511-0}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} *{{IMDb name|0654830|François Ozon}} *[http://www.francois-ozon.com/ François Ozon's official site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208213917/http://www.francois-ozon.com/ |date=2011-02-08 }} *[http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2004/great-directors/ozon/ Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database] *[http://www.vmagazine.com/feature_film_deathandfashion.html Summer 2006 Interview with Ozon]{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} * [http://www.facebook.com/potichemovie POTICHE Facebook Page]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ozon, Francois}} Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:Best Director Lumières Award winners Category:Best Screenwriter European Film Award winners Category:Film directors from Paris Category:French film editors Category:French film producers Category:French male non-fiction writers Category:French male screenwriters Category:French gay writers Category:French LGBTQ film directors Category:French LGBTQ screenwriters Category:French-language film directors Category:German-language film directors Category:Gay screenwriters Category:LGBTQ film producers Category:Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Category:Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Category:20th-century French male writers Category:21st-century French male writers Category:20th-century French screenwriters Category:21st-century French screenwriters Category:20th-century French LGBTQ people Category:21st-century French LGBTQ people Category:La Fémis alumni