The 34th César Awards ceremony was presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma to honour its selection of the best films of 2008 on 27 February 2009. Canal+ broadcast the event, which took place again at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France. The nominations for the Awards were announced on 23 January. The ceremony was chaired by Charlotte Gainsbourg and hosted by Antoine de Caunes. Séraphine 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.