Mike Fleming

Roman Polanski, who was placed under house arrest by Switzerland when he came to attend the Zurich Film Festival in 2009, is returning to the festival this year to accept a lifetime achievement award. According to an announcement, Polanski will not be doing interviews during the festival but will be going. Festival organizers also will not speak about the legal case. Last time, Polanski never made it to the festival, arrested at the airport and taken into provisional custody. Swiss authorities eventually freed him and declined an extradition request from the United States, where Polanski skipped out on a conviction for engaging in a sex act with an underage girl in 1978. Polanski’s latest film, Carnage, was accepted as the opening-night film of the New York Film Festival. He most certainly is not expected to attend that gathering. Here’s the announcement:

Zurich, Switzerland – September 15, 2011 – Director Roman Polanski will attend the upcoming 7th Zurich Film Festival to accept the lifetime achievement award that was intended for him two years ago, to honor his outstanding career achievements as a filmmaker. The announcement was made today by Zurich Film Festival Directors Karl Spoerri and Nadja Schildknecht.

The World Premiere of a full-length non fiction film will follow the tribute ceremony. Details regarding the film and the world premiere will not be released before the official screening on Sept 27.

“We are especially proud to welcome Roman Polanski this year to receive his award“, commented Zurich Film Festival directors Karl Spoerri and Nadja Schildknecht. “We have always been tremendous admirers of his work and we are delighted that we will soon be able to express this to him in person.”