François Ozon’s black-and-white Albert Camus adaptation The Stranger won Best Film at France’s 31st Lumière Awards in Paris on Sunday evening.
The film, which premiered in Venice last September, was the frontrunner in the contest at the nomination stage making it into six categories. Benjamin Voisin won Best Actor for his performance as the novel’s nihilist protagonist Meursault.
Manuel Dacosse, who was previously feted for his work on Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s Evolution, won Best Cinematography for his work on the film, which was shot in color but presented in black and white.
France’s equivalent of the Golden Globes, the Lumières are focused on French-language cinema and are voted on by members of the international press based in France and hailing from 36 countries.
The other top winner of the night was Richard Linklater who scooped Best Director for Nouvelle Vague, while Guillaume Marbeck won Best Male Revelation for his performance as Jean-Luc Godard in the ode to the French New Wave.
Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent – which is coproduced by Brazil’s CinemaScópio, France’s mk2 Productions, Germany’s One Two Films, and the Netherlands’ Lemming Film – won Best International Coproduction.
The award continues a prize-winning streak for the Brazilian Oscar entry, which won Best Non-English Language Film and Best Actor for Wagner Moura at the Golden Globes last week.
Ugo Bienvenu’s Arco, another hot awards season title, scooped Best Animated Feature. The win followed hot on the heels of its triumph at the European Film Awards in Berlin on Saturday evening, where it was feted with Best European Animated Feature Film.
The Lumière Awards ceremony took place in the French capital on Sunday evening, coinciding with the press junket of Unifrance’s Rendez-Vous in Paris hosting some 120 journalists from 40 territories.
The Full List of 2026 Lumière Winners
Best Film
The Stranger, François Ozon
Best Direction
Richard Linklater for Nouvelle Vague
Best Screenplay
Stéphane Demoustier for The Great Arch
Best Documentary
Put Your Soul On Your Hand and Walk, Sepideh Farsi
Best Animation
Arco, Ugo Bienvenu
Best Actress
Léa Drucker for Case 137
Best Actor
Benjamin Voisin for The Stranger
Female Revelation
Nadia Melliti for The Little Sister
Male Revelation
Guillaume Marbeck for Nouvelle Vague
Best First Film
Nino for Pauline Loquès
Best International Coproduction
The Secret Agent, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Cinematography
Manuel Dacosse for The Stranger
Best Music
Warren Ellis, Dom La Nena et Rosemary Standley for Whispers in the Woods