THE late Telsche Boorman, who died last month, was awarded a posthumous Cesar award last Saturday night in the French film industry's annual equivalent of the Oscars ceremony. The daughter of John Boorman, Telsche was voted winner of the best original or adapted screenplay award for Gazon Maudit, on which she collaborated with the film's director and star, Josiane Belasko. The evening's other emotional moment came when the audience rose to its feet as a tearswept Annie Girardot received the best supporting actress award for Les Miserables.

The award for best French film went to Mathieu Kassovitz's La Haine, which also won the best film editing award. Claude Sautet and Michel Serrault received the best director and best actor awards respectively, for Nelly et M. Arnaud, and Isabelle Huppert was named best actress for Claude Chabrol's La Ceremonie.

Ken Loach was present to receive the best foreign film award for Land And Freedom. Eddy Mitchell was named best supporting actor for Le Bonheyur Est dans Le Pre. For his performance in Les Apprentis, Guillaume Depardieu (son of Gerard) was voted best young actor, while Sandrine Kiberlain was voted best young actress for En Avoir (Ou Pas). Jean Paul Rappeneau's The Horseman On The Roof received the awards for best cinematography and best sound. And special awards were presented to Lauren Bacall and director Henri Verneuil.

AFTER a long hiatus in the aftermath of the debacle that was his Twin Peaks feature film, David Lynch is back behind the camera for Lost Highway, which sounds predictably unpredictable. It features Bill Pullman as Fred, a saxophonist convicted of killing his wife (Patricia Arquette) who metamorphoses, while on death row, into Pete (played by Balthazar Getty) - who may or may not be a younger version of Fred. Asked by Premiere magazine to illuminate the scenario, Bill Pullman commented: "The clarity about it is about the same clarity you had after the O.J. trial." Gee, thanks, Bill.