| Number: | 5 |
| Award: | César Awards |
| Date: | 2 February 1980 |
| Site: | Salle Pleyel, Paris, France |
| Host: | Pierre Tchernia and Peter Ustinov |
| Best Film: | Tess |
| Best Actor: | Claude Brasseur |
| Best Actress: | Miou-Miou |
| Network: | Antenne 2 |
| Last: | 4th |
| Next: | 6th |
The 5th César Awards ceremony, presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, honoured the best French films of 1979 and took place on 2 February 1980 at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. The ceremony was chaired by Jean Marais and hosted by Pierre Tchernia and Peter Ustinov. Tess won the award for Best Film.
The winners are highlighted in bold:
Tess, directed by Roman Polanski
Womanlight directed by Costa Gavras
Don Giovanni, directed by Joseph Losey
I... comme Icare, directed by Henri Verneuil
Manhattan, directed by Woody Allen
Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Die Blechtrommel, directed by Volker Schlöndorff
Hair, directed by Miloš Forman
Claude Brasseur, for The Police War
Jean Rochefort, for Courage - Let's Run
Yves Montand, for I... comme Icare
Patrick Dewaere, for Série noire
Miou-Miou, for La Dérobade
Romy Schneider, for Womanlight
Dominique Laffin, for The Crying Woman
Nastassja Kinski, for Tess
Jean Bouise, for Coup de tête
Michel Aumont, for Courage - Let's Run
Bernard Blier, for Série noire
Bernard Giraudeau, for Le Toubib
Nicole Garcia, for Le Cavaleur
Dominique Lavanant, for Courage - Let's Run
Maria Schneider, for La Dérobade
Myriam Boyer, for Série noire
Roman Polanski, for Tess
Costa Gavras, for Womanlight
Joseph Losey, for Don Giovanni
Jacques Doillon, for La Drôlesse
Bertrand Blier, for Buffet froid
Jacques Doillon, for La Drôlesse
Henri Verneuil, Didier Decoin, for I... comme Icare
Alain Corneau, Georges Perec, for Série noire
Ghislain Cloquet, for Tess
Jean Penzer, for Buffet froid
Néstor Almendros, for Perceval le Gallois
Bruno Nuytten, for Les Soeurs Brontë
Pierre Gamet, for Womanlight
Alain Lachassagne, for Martin et Léa
Jean-Pierre Ruh, for Perceval le Gallois
Pierre Lenoir, for Retour à la bien-aimée
Reginald Beck, for Don Giovanni
Claudine Merlin, for Buffet froid
Henri Lanoë, for Le Cavaleur
Claudine Merlin, for Les Soeurs Brontë
Thierry Derocles, for Série noire
Georges Delerue, for L'Amour en fuite
Vladimir Cosma, for La Dérobade
Ennio Morricone, for I... comme Icare
Philippe Sarde, for Tess
Alexandre Trauner, for Don Giovanni
Théobald Meurisse, for Buffet froid
Jacques Saulnier, for I... comme Icare
Pierre Guffroy, for Tess
Colloque de chiens, directed by Raúl Ruiz
Nuit feline, directed by Gérard Marx
Sibylle, directed by Robert Cappa
Petit Pierre, directed by Emmanuel Clot
Georges Demeny, directed by Joël Farges
Panoplie, directed by Philippe Gaucherand
Le Sculpteur parfait, directed by Rafi Toumayan
Pierre Braunberger
Louis de Funès
Kirk Douglas