The Jacques Deray Prize () is a French film award presented annually since 2005. It celebrates the memory of the director
Jacques Deray
Jacques Deray (born Jacques Desrayaud, 19 February 1929 – 9 August 2003) was a French film director and screenwriter. Deray is prominently known for directing many crime films, crime and thriller films.
Biography
Born Jacques Desrayaud in Lyon, ...
, who was known for directing many
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
and
thriller films
Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
. It was created by the
Institut Lumière
The Institut Lumière (; "Lumière Institute") is a French organisation, based in Lyon, for the promotion and preservation of aspects of French film making. The Institut Lumière is a museum that honours the contribution to filmmaking by Auguste ...
in collaboration with the Association des Amis de Jacques Deray.
History
Jacques Deray
Jacques Deray (born Jacques Desrayaud, 19 February 1929 – 9 August 2003) was a French film director and screenwriter. Deray is prominently known for directing many crime films, crime and thriller films.
Biography
Born Jacques Desrayaud in Lyon, ...
was a French filmmaker who was known for directing many
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
and
thriller films
Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
, including ''
La Piscine'' (1969) and ''
Borsalino
Borsalino Giuseppe e Fratello S.p.A. is the oldest Italian company specializing in the manufacture of luxury hats. Since 1857, the manufacturer has been based in Alessandria, Piedmont. The founder, Giuseppe Borsalino, is remembered for creating ...
'' (1970). Following his death in 2003, the Jacques Deray Prize was created in
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
, the filmmaker's hometown. It was created by the
Institut Lumière
The Institut Lumière (; "Lumière Institute") is a French organisation, based in Lyon, for the promotion and preservation of aspects of French film making. The Institut Lumière is a museum that honours the contribution to filmmaking by Auguste ...
, of which Jacques Deray was vice-president, in collaboration with the Association des Amis de Jacques Deray, which includes Deray's widow Agnès Vincent-Deray and his daughter Laurence Deray.
It has been presented annually since 2005 to celebrate his memory.
As of 2016, the jury consisted of Institut Lumière president
Bertrand Tavernier
Bertrand Tavernier (; 25 April 1941 – 25 March 2021) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer.
Life and career
Tavernier was born in Lyon, France, the son of Geneviève (née Dumond) and René Tavernier, a publicist and writer, ...
, chairman (''délégué général'')
Thierry Frémaux
Thierry Frémaux (; born 29 May 1960 in Tullins) is the director of the Institut Lumière, of the Lumière Film Festival and of the Cannes Film Festival.
Education and career
Frémaux has a '' diplôme d'études approfondies'' (equivalent to a ...
, and members of the association.
The jury selects what they consider to be the best film of the year within the "''policier''" crime-thriller genre of
French cinema
The cinema of France comprises the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe, with prima ...
.
The winner is presented with a bronze statuette which depicts a young girl with a butterfly on her shoulder, a reference to Deray's film ''
Butterfly on the Shoulder
''Butterfly on the Shoulder'' (or Un papillon sur l'épaule) is a French drama, thriller film directed by Jacques Deray.
Plot
When he stops in Barcelona (Catalonia) with his wife for a week, Roland Fériaud discovered in his hotel a man in agony ...
'' (1978), as well as a direct reference to the director himself who kept a similar porcelain statuette on his desk. The director of the winning film is awarded the privilege of having their name inscribed on a plaque installed on the , a monument that commemorates the numerous directors of international cinema who have visited the Institut Lumière.
The winner of the Prize is announced in January or February, and it is presented a few weeks later, in February or March. In 2021, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the announcement was not made until the beginning of March and the award ceremony was postponed to June.
Winners
References
{{Portal bar, Film, France
Jacques-Deray
Awards established in 2005
2005 establishments in France