Denys Arcand's The Barbarian Invasions (LesInvasions Barbares) scooped three key Cesarawards on Saturday night in Paris winning in the best picture, best directorand best screenplay categories.

The film, which won acting and writing awards at Cannes last year, is alsonominated for two Oscars next Sunday in the best foreign film and best originalscreenplay races.

With 11 nominations heading into the Cesars - the French equivalent to theOscars - Jean-Paul Rappenneau's Bon Voyage also scored a hat trick for set design, cinematographyand best male newcomer.

The major acting awards went to Sylvie Testud for her role in AlainCorneau's Stupeur Et Tremblements and the Egyptian born Omar Sharif for his titular role in MonsieurIbrahim Et Les Fleurs Du Coran.

Daryl Cowl took the best supporting actor Cesar for Alain Resnais musical PasSur La Bouche while GerardDepardieu's daughter Julie was awarded two prizes, one for best femalenewcomer and one for supporting actress.

Accepting her first statue of the evening, Depardieu was interrupted by herfather who bounded up to the stage uninvited and went on to speak in whatseemed to be an uncomfortable moment for the actress.

Clint Eastwood's heavily Oscar nominated Mystic River took the prize for Best Foreign Film while Germanjuggernaut Wolfgang Becker's Good Bye, Lenin! was awarded the statue for Best Film from theEuropean Union.

Best First Film went to Julie Bertucelli's Depuis Qu'OtarEst Parti while Best Score went to BenoitCharest for Sylvain Chomet's animated film Les Triplettes DeBelleville.

The evening was punctuated with outcries from France's showbiz artistsand technicians who are currently striking against reforms made to theirbenefits and who picketed outside Paris' Theatre du Chatelet where theevent was held.

Complete list of winners:

Best Film - The Barbarian Invasions
Best Director - Denys Arcand (TheBarbarian Invasions)
Best Actress - Sylvie Testud (Stupeur Et Tremblements)
Best Actor - Omar Sharif (Monsieur Ibrahim)
Best Supporting Actress - Julie Depardieu (La Petite Lili)
Best Supporting Actor - Darry Cowl (Pas Sur La Bouche)
Best Female Newcomer - Julie Depardieu (La Petite Lili)
Best Male Newcomer - Gregori Derangare (Bon Voyage)
Best Foreign Film - Mystic River
Best Film from the European Union - Good Bye, Lenin!
Best Screenplay - Denys Arcand (The Barbarian Invasions)
Best First Film - Depuis qu'Otar Est Parti
Best Short Film - l'Homme Sans Tete
Best Score - Benoit Charest (Les Triplettes De Belleville)
Best Costumes - Jackie Budin (Pas Sur La Bouche)
Best Cinematography - Thierry Arbogast (Bon Voyage)
Best Set Design - Jacques Rouxell and Catherine Leterrier (Bon Voyage)
Best Editing - Danielle Anezin, Valerie Loiseleux and Ludo Troch (UnCouple
Epatant, Cavale, Apres La Vie)
Best Sound - Jean-Marie Blondel, GerardHardy and Gerard Lamps (Pas Sur La
Bouche)