The “Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Academy Awards”… Welcome to our movie selection!

Academy Award for the best adapted screenplay

Although the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region has inspired a plethora of movie directors, it is also a cradle for renowned authors. And when the two worlds meet, wonderful things happen! Among our Oscar nominees for the best adapted screenplay, we have selected Marcel Pagnol’s celebrated Marseille Trilogy, comprising the 3 movies Marius, Fanny and César, together with the adaptation of My Father’s Glory, My Mother’s Castle and, last but not least, the Count of Monte Cristo. Released in 2024, the latter – a huge box office success – leads us in the footsteps of Edmond Dantès from the city’s Vieux-Port to Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption church in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, via the infamous prison of Château d’If. In the battle for the Academy Award, Marcel Pagnol remains a sizeable opponent for the Count of Monte Cristo. He wrote all 3 books for the Marseille Trilogy and directed the 3rd film in the series, propelling the Trilogy to cult status and shining a spotlight on Marseille in the 1930s and 1940s. A local and international star alike, Marcel Pagnol is also the talent behind Childhood Memories, of which the first two tomes, along with My Father’s Glory and My Mother’s Castle, were adapted for the screen by Yves Robert. In them, we discover the authentic scenery of Provence, from La Treille to the village of Grambois via Château de la Buzine and the Garlaban hills.

And the Academy Award for the best adapted screenplay goes to… the Count of Monte Cristo! Directors Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre De La Patellière managed to create a captivating fresco, combining adventure with the region’s beautiful scenery. History and movie buffs take note: Château d’If is open to visitors all year round.

The If Castle

In 1516, François I, King of France, stopped in Marseille after the victory of Marignan. From the island of If, he studied the city's defenses and noted that nothing protected...

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, a Provencal village with character. One of France's most beautiful villages.

Garlaban Hills

The Garlaban hills gained international fame thanks to Marcel Pagnol’s books. This chain of small limestone mountains also offers a fantastic playground for nature lovers.

Château de La Buzine - House of Mediterranean Cinematography

The " Château de ma mère" built in 1867 aqquired by Marcel Pagnol in 1941, hoping to create a "cité du Cinéma". This place has been bought by the City of Marseille in...

Academy Award for the best soundtrack

Good films always have a great soundtrack: music that exalts a scene or incites tears, fear or excitement. And of course, we all remember a fabulous soundtrack long after we’ve seen the movie! The Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region is a place of many atmospheres, found in the music of the movies that tell its story. Our nominees for the best soundtrack are The Swimming Pool, Taxi and Fotogenico. The first, directed by Jacques Deray in a sublime villa in Ramatuelle and starring Romy Schneider, Alain Delon and Jane Birkin, is a genuine icon of its era. Its languid, heavy and ambiguous ambience is magnified by a soundtrack created by the talented Michel Legrand. Our second pick, Taxi 1, is a genuine Nineties cult movie. Written by Luc Besson and directed by Gérard Pirès, it whisked an entire generation away in its famous Peugeot 406 for a heart-stopping tour of Marseille paced by legendary car chases. Its screeching tyres and yelling passengers went hand in hand with the brilliant soundtrack concocted by Akhenaton – a member of the iconic rap band IAM -, together with fellow Marseille rappers such as Fonky Family and Troisième Œil. Last but not least, our third nominee is Fotogenico, released in 2024 and directed by Marcia Romano and Benoît Sabatier. Entirely shot on location in Marseille, its soundtrack composed by Froid Dub offers spectators an electric, punk and colourful interpretation of the ancient Greek city.

And the Academy Award for the best soundtrack goes to… Taxi! Because a Made in Marseille movie with a soundtrack bringing together the city’s rap legends from the 1990s-2000s is simply too hard to beat.

Marseille: discovering the city’s legendary rap venues

The City of Marseille has been pulsating to the beat of Hip-Hop culture for the last 30 years, forged by four generations of rappers with names that have rise to cult status....

Villefranche Sur Mer Cote Dazur By Night Scstock

Le cinéma et la Côte d'Azur

Ever since the early days of films, the history of the Côte d’Azur has been closely linked to that of the 7th art and its iconic characters. From Saint-Tropez to Menton, Nice...

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur in movie mode!

While the spotlight each year is on the Cannes Film Festival, its prestige and its string of stars, we often forget that our region has had an intense love affair with the...

Academy Award for the zaniest picture

When certain movie directors let their imaginations run free, the result can be pretty wild – and we love it! So, we have created a special Academy Award for the zaniest picture with four nominees: Mandibles, The Brice Man, Fear City and The Balconettes. Written and directed by the prolific Quentin Dupieux, Mandibles tells the story of two simple-minded friends who attempt to train…a giant fly. The action takes place in the Var area, between Ramatuelle, Cavalaire and Sainte-Maxime. In fact, the director was already familiar with the Var: various scenes from his movie L’Accident de Piano were shot around Toulon and La Londe-les-Maures. The Alpes-Maritimes area is the location for two outstanding nominees starting with The Brice Man, a wannabe surfer who spends his time waiting for THE wave, while contemplating the despairingly flat horizon from Plage des Bains Militaires. This cult movie takes us on a hilarious stroll through Nice, its vicinity and its villas. Our third nominee, also filmed in the Alpes-Maritimes, is none other than Fear City. The film takes place in the Nineties, during a Cannes Film Festival thrown into disarray by a series of murders. The absurd scenes and mad dialogues are an absolute treat, with a special mention for the car chase down the Croisette and streets of Cannes. Last but not least, we’re returning to Marseille for the last nominee: The Balconettes. Released in 2024, the movie features three women caught up in a whirlwind of events that are both comical and horrific. From the city’s ancient buildings to the Corniche Kennedy coast road, director Noémie Merlant combines gore, bodily freedom and heatwave to offer an explosive and resolutely feminist film.

Despite the quality of our selection, there can sadly only be one winner! And the Academy Award for the zaniest picture goes to… Fear City! Because even 30 years on, it remains a benchmark for the genre and genuine masterpiece of comic absurdity.

Academy Award for the best Provencal movie set

Now here’s a tricky category to decide on, because Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur is always a perfect movie set! However, we did manage to select three nominees: The Horseman on the Roof, Pierrot le Fou and The Time of Secrets. The first, directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau and inspired by Manosque-born author Jean Giono, was filmed in the stunning scenery of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and, especially, on the rooftops of Manosque. The second, directed by Jean-Luc Godard, was partially filmed in Toulon, Giens and the stunningly poetic décor of Porquerolles island, in particular Plage Notre-Dame. The third, released in 2022 and directed by Christophe Barratier, plunges us into the Provencal landscapes of yesteryear, captured using current-day technological prowess. Adapted from the third tome of Marcel Pagnol’s Childhood Memories, it was shot in Marseille – especially the Massif de l’Étoile -, Allauch and Aubagne, where you can still visit the author’s childhood home. And whatever the outcome of our unofficial competition, we highly recommend seeing all three of these iconic Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur movies.

But as we have to pick a winner here it is: the Academy Award for the best Provencal movie set goes to… The Horseman on the Roof! The movie’s wonderfully diverse Provencal locations make it a genuine picture postcard. What’s more, it has already won real-life awards for the best sound and best photography. Good things always come in threes!

Academy Honorary Award

Some movie stars have maintained a very special relationship with Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur throughout their life and career. That’s why we’d like to wind up in style with an Academy Honorary Award! Our three nominees are: Marcel Pagnol, Louis de Funès and Brigitte Bardot. The first, born in Aubagne, wrote numerous books, films and plays set against a delightful Provencal backdrop; his oeuvre is a genuine homage to our region. The second is intrinsically linked to Saint-Tropez, where he played the role of a hilarious local gendarme in six cult movies. The famous gendarmerie where the films were shot is now a museum. And, last but not least, the South of France’s most iconic and retro actress: Brigitte Bardot. She used to holiday in Saint-Tropez with her parents when she was little; later on, she met Roger Vadim there and went on to star in the mythical And God Created Woman. In 1958, she purchased a house in Saint-Tropez called “La Madrague”, marking her eternal devotion to the Côte d’Azur.

Despite this stunning line-up, we can only choose one! So, the Academy Honorary Award goes to… Marcel Pagnol! Forged by a childhood spent roaming the local hills, Pagnol brought the beauty and authenticity of Provence to the entire world and his legacy continues to shine to this day.