Quentin Tarantino to be presented with honorary Cesar

Quentin Tarantino's film credits include Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction

US director Quentin Tarantino will receive a special prize next month at the Cesar Awards in Paris.

Awards president Alain Terzian said Tarantino, best known for films such as Kill Bill, is being honoured as "a great international artist."

Algerian film Of Gods and Men has been nominated for 11 awards, including best movie of the year.

It will compete against Roman Polanski's The Ghost, which has received eight nods.

Johann Sfar's biopic Gainsbourg, about the famed French singer, was also nominated in eight categories including best film, best first film and best actor for Eric Elmosnino.

Bertrand Tavernier's The Princess of Montpensier and Mathieu Amalric's On Tour received seven nominations.

English actress Kristin Scott Thomas received a nod in the best actress category for her role in Sarah's Key.

She will compete against Isabelle Carre, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sara Forestier and Catherine Deneuve.

The Social Network will compete in the best foreign film category alongside Invictus, Inception, Illegal, Bright Star, Heartbeats and The Secret in their Eyes.

Jodie Foster will preside over the annual awards - dubbed the French equivalent of the Oscars - in Paris on 25 February.