The 45th César Awards ceremony, presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, took place on 28 February 2020, at the Salle Pleyel in Paris to honour the best French films of 2019.

Controversy and protests dogged the Academy in the months running up to the ceremony.

[7][8][9][10] Les Misérables − Produced by Toufik Ayadi and Christophe Barral; Directed by Ladj Ly Roman Polanski − An Officer and a Spy Roschdy Zem − Oh Mercy!

as Yacoub Daoud Anaïs Demoustier − Alice and the Mayor as Alice Heimann Swann Arlaud − By the Grace of God as Emmanuel Thomassin Fanny Ardant − La Belle Époque as Marianne Drumond Alexis Manenti − Les Misérables as Chris Lyna Khoudri − Papicha as Nedjma 'Papicha' La Belle Époque − Nicolas Bedos An Officer and a Spy − Roman Polanski and Robert Harris based on the novel by Robert Harris Papicha − Mounia Meddour Portrait of a Lady on Fire − Claire Mathon Les Misérables − Flora Volpelière The Wolf's Call − Nicolas Cantin, Thomas Desjonquères, Raphaëll Mouterde, Olivier Goinard and Randy Thom I Lost My Body − Dan Levy An Officer and a Spy − Pascaline Chavanne La Belle Époque − Stéphane Rozenbaum M − Yolande Zauberman I Lost My Body − Jérémy Clapin La nuit des sacs plastiques − Gabriel Harel Pile Poil − Lauriane Escaffre and Yvonnick Muller Parasite (South Korea) – Directed by Bong Joon-ho Les Misérables – Ladj Ly Roman Polanski's Best Director win for An Officer and a Spy was poorly received by the audience.

[11][12] Polanski as well as other crew members of An Officer and a Spy did not attend the ceremony.