Luc Besson
Birth Name:
Luc Besson
Birth Place:
Paris, France
Profession
Producer, Writer, Director, Actor, Soundtrack, Camera department, Cinematographer, Editor, Assistant director
Fast Facts
- Won Best Director at the César Awards for "The Fifth Element" in 1999
- As a child, he dreamt of one day becoming a marine biologist, but a diving accident when he was 17 shattered his plans
- Quote: "(On judging the success of a film) "For me it's: have you done the best that you can․ If the answer is 'yes', you can sleep with dignity․""
- Decided to create his own company, EuropaCorp, so that he could produce new kinds of movies
- Does not like to film outside and typically creates movies in fully-enclosed sets with no natural lighting
- In 2000, he was acting president of the jury at Cannes Film Festival
- Wrote the screenplay and book and directed the movie "The Fifth Element," which at the time in 1997 was Europe's most expensive movie with a budget of $90 million
Awards
- 1983Special Jury AwardWinner
- 1983Critics Award - Best Film:Winner
- 1983Grand PrizeNominated
- 1983Critic's PrizeWinner
- 1983Gold Hugo - Best Feature:Nominated
- 1983Caixa de Catalunya - Best Film:Winner
- 1983Caixa de Catalunya - Best Director:Winner
- 1983Silver CharybdisWinner
- 1983Golden CharybdisNominated
- 1984César - Best First Work (Meilleure première oeuvre):Nominated
- 1984International Fantasy Film Award - Best Film:Winner
- 1984Audience Jury Award - Special MentionWinner
- 1984International Fantasy Film Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1986BAFTA Film Award - Best Foreign Language Film:Nominated
- 1986César - Best Film (Meilleur film):Nominated
- 1986César - Best Director (Meilleur réalisateur):Nominated
- 1987International Fantasy Film Award - Best Film:Nominated
- 1989César - Best Film (Meilleur film):Nominated
- 1989César - Best Director (Meilleur réalisateur):Nominated
- 1989Academy AwardWinner
- 1990Best FilmNominated
- 1991César - Best Film (Meilleur film):Nominated
- 1991César - Best Director (Meilleur réalisateur):Nominated
- 1991David - Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero):Nominated
- 1991Silver Ribbon - Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero):Winner
- 1994Honorable Mentions (The Next Ten Best Picture Contenders) - Honorable Mentions:Winner
- 1995César - Best Director (Meilleur réalisateur):Nominated
- 1995César - Best Film (Meilleur film):Nominated
- 1996Czech Lion - Best Foreign Language Film (Nejlepsí zahranicní film):Winner
- 1997Stinker Award - Worst Sense of Direction (Stop them before they direct again!):Nominated
- 1998Alexander Korda Award for Best British FilmWinner
- 1998César - Best Film (Meilleur film):Nominated
- 1998César - Best Director (Meilleur réalisateur):Winner
- 1998Hugo - Best Dramatic Presentation:Nominated
- 1998Silver Ribbon - Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero):Nominated
- 1998Lumiere Award - Best Director (Meilleur réalisateur):Winner
- 2000César - Best Film (Meilleur film):Nominated
- 2000César - Best Director (Meilleur réalisateur):Nominated
- 2000Lumiere Award - Best Director (Meilleur réalisateur):Winner
- 2000Lumiere Award - Best Film (Meilleur Film):Winner
- 2006Independent Spirit Award - Best Feature:Nominated
- 2006Bronze Wrangler - Theatrical Motion Picture:Winner
- 2011Felix - Best Director:Nominated
- 2011César - Best Animated Film (Meilleur film d'animation):Nominated
- 2011Audience Jury Award - Feature Film:Winner
- 2012International Human Rights AwardWinner
- 2012Cinema for Peace Award - Cinema for Peace Award for Justice:Nominated
- 2012César - Best Animated Film (Meilleur film d'animation):Nominated
- 2012Audience Award - Best Feature:Winner
- 2013Audience Award - Best of Festival:Nominated
- 2014Cinema for Peace Award - Cinema for Peace Award for the Most Valuable Documentary of the Year:Winner
- 2014Variety Piazza Grande AwardNominated
- 2015Huading Award - Best Global Director for a Motion Picture:Nominated
- 2015Yoga Award - Worst Foreign Director:Winner
- 2018EFA People's Choice AwardNominated
- 2023Golden Star - Feature Narrative Competition:Nominated
- 2023Golden Lion - Best Film:Nominated
- 2023Queer Lion AwardNominated
- 2023Fanheart3 Award - Graffetta d'Oro for Best Film:Winner
- 2025CinEuphoria - Best Film - International Competition:Nominated