The 1st César Awards ceremony, presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, honoured the best French films of 1975 and took place on 3 April 1976 at the Palais des congrès in Paris. The ceremony was chaired by Jean Gabin and hosted by Pierre Tchernia. Le Vieux Fusil won the award for Best Film.

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.