The 38th Annual César Awards ceremony, presented by the French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques, was held on 22 February 2013, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The ceremony was chaired by Jamel Debbouze, with Antoine de Caunes as master of ceremonies. Nominations were announced 25 January 2013. Michael Haneke's film Amour, nominated in ten categories, won in five, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress.

The César Award is the national film award of France. It is delivered in the Nuit des César ceremony and was first awarded in 1976. The nominations are selected by the members of twelve categories of filmmaking professionals and supported by the French Ministry of Culture. The nationally televised award ceremony is held in Paris each year in February. The exact location has changed over the years. It is an initiative of the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, which was founded in 1975.