JACQUES Audiard’s tough prison drama A Prophet was the big winner at the 35th Cesar Awards, winning nine trophies out of 13 nominations.

The Bafta winning film, which follows a teenage small-time hood who becomes a mafia kingpin behind bars, was named best film, while Audiard took best director.

The film’s breakout star Tahar Rahim also snatched two awards, for best actor and breakthrough performance, while the film also won best original screenplay.

A Prophet is also an Oscar contender for best foreign film.

Commenting on his win, lead actor Rahim said: “At the beginning I was extremely nervous and intimidated because I was aware the film was a big machine. But at one point, the mental block just disappeared.”

Audiard, his director, added: “More than any other films I’ve directed, making A Prophet was very challenging and tedious. Seeing Tahar’s victory tonight reminds me of my initial objective for this film, which was to let audiences discover the new faces of French cinema.”

Of the other main awards presented at France’s equivalent of the Oscars, Isabelle Adjani won best actress her role as a professor who takes her students hostage in controversial drama Skirt Day.

The film marked her big screen comeback after a five-year break.

She commented: “It’ s a tiny film which deals with a taboo subject. It took a deep passion and conviction to believe in it when no one wanted to produce or distribute it.”

In the foreign film category, Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino beat competition from James Cameron’s Avatar and Palme d’Or winning film The White Ribbon.

Avatar star Sigourney Weaver presented her former Working Girl co-star Harrison Ford with the honorary Cesar award.

Ackowledging his formidable cinema achievements, she said: “You are never the superhero… even in the blockbusters, you remain unpredictable. No one in your generation comes close.”

The main winners are:

Best film
A Prophet

Director
Jacques Audiard, A Prophet

Actor
Tahar Rahim, A Prophet

Actress
Isabelle Adjani, Skirt Day

Breakthrough Performance, Actor
Tahar Rahim, A Prophet

Breakthrough Performance, Actress
Melanie Thierry, One For The Road

Supporting Actor
Niels Arestrup, A Prophet

Supporting Actress
Emmanuelle Devos, At the Beginning

First Film
The French Kissers, Riad Sattouf

Original Screenplay
Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Abdel Raouf Dafri, Nicolas Peufaillit, A Prophet

Adatped Screenplay
Stephane Brize, Florence Vignon, Mademoiselle Chambon

Cinematography
Stephane Fontaine, A Prophet

Foreign Film
Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood

Costume Design
Catherine Leterrier, Coco Before Chanel

Set Design
Michel Barthelemy, A Prophet

Editing
Juliette Welfling, A Prophet

Sound
Pierre Excoffier, Bruno Tarriere, Bruno Tarriere, Selim Azzazi, A Prophet

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