JacquesAudiard's The Beat That My Heart Skippedhas claimed eight Cesars, France's most prestigious film awards.

Nominatedfor 10 statues, the film took the honours for best picture, director,supporting actor, female newcomer, original score, adapted screenplay, editingand cinematography.

Insomething of an upset, the film's star, Romain Duris, did not take home thebest actor award which went instead to Michel Bouquet for his role as former French president Francois Mitterandin Robert Guediguian's Le Promeneur Du Champ DeMars.

For her rolein Xavier Beauvois' Le Petit Lieutenant,Nathalie Baye won the best actress prize while Cecile de France won for bestsupporting actress in Cedric Klapisch's RussianDolls.

ClintEastwood's Million Dollar Baby claimedthe best foreign film prize.

Otherpictures which earned recognition included: Radu Milhaileanu's Live And Become, which took the best originalscreenplay award; Patrice Chereau's Gabriellefor costumes and art direction; March Of The Penguinsfor sound; and Philippe Garrel's Les Amants Reguliers,which earned a prize for the director's son Louis in the best male newcomercategory.

HonoraryCesars were awarded to actors Hugh Grant and Pierre Richard.

CESARWINNERS 2006

BestFrench Film
TheBeat That My Heart Skipped (Dir: Jacques Audiard)

BestDirector
JacquesAudiard (The Beat That My Heart Skipped)

BestActress
NathalieBaye, Le Petit Lieutenant

BestActor
MichelBouquet (Le Promeneur Du Champ De Mars)

BestSupporting Actress
Cecile deFrance (Russian Dolls)

BestSupporting Actor
Niels Arestrup(The Beat That My Heart Skipped)

BestFemale Newcomer
Linh-DanPham (The Beat That My Heart Skipped)

BestMale Newcomer
LouisGarrel (Les Amants Reguliers)

BestForeign Film
MillionDollar Baby (Dir: Clint Eastwood)

BestFirst Film
LeCauchemar De Darwin (Dir: Hubert Sauper)

BestOriginal Screenplay
RaduMihaileanu and Alain-Michel Blanc (Live And Become)

BestAdapted Screenplay
JacquesAudiard and Tonino Benacquista(The Beat That My HeartSkipped)

BestOriginal Score
AlexandreDespla (The Beat That My Heart Skipped)

BestShort Film
AfterShave (Dir: Harry Tamba)

BestCinematography
StephaneFontaine (The Beat That My Heart Skipped)

BestArt Direction
OlivierRadot (Gabrielle)

BestSound
LaurentQuaglio and Gerard Lamps (March Of The Penguins)

BestCostume Design
Carolinede Vivaise (Gabrielle)

BestEditing
JulietteWelfling (The Beat That My Heart Skipped)