Jodie Foster to Preside Over the César Awards in Paris Next Month

Jodie Foster will be President of the Ceremony at the 36th annual César Awards on February 25th at the legendary Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The French equivalent of the Oscars, the César compensates the best films, directors, actors and other professionals of the “seventh art.”

The César nominations, selected by the members of the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, will be announced on Friday, January 21st. I’m curious to find out which movie will be nominated in the Foreign Film category. So why Jodie Foster? Hit the jump to find out.

The actress and director not only speaks French fluently and sans accent – she attended a French school in Los Angeles – but she will also begin shooting her next movie in France in February. She will play Veronica in the big screen adaptation of Yasmina Reza’s play, God of Carnage, under the direction of Roman Polanski. The movie also stars Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Matt Dillon and John C. Reilly. She’s also attached to star in Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium, co-starring with Matt Damon.

Like the Oscars, the César awards have had their share of unforgettable moments:

1982: Simone Signoret slips and falls into the arms of Orson Welles.

1998: Jean-Luc Godard tells Clint Eastwood “Be yourself!” while handing him the honorary César.

1999: Honorary César recipient Johnny Depp accepts his award by playing a pre-recorded speech in French.

2003: Comedian Jamel Debbouze, nominated for his role in Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, feigns irritation after the winner is announced and gets up onstage in protest. Spike Lee, recipient of the honorary award that year, was so amused by his performance that he gives him a role in She Hate Me.

2009: Dustin Hoffman is overcome with emotion and is in tears when he goes up to accept his César.