Reuters
COLOGNE, Germany (Hollywood Reporter) – Roman Polanski has canceled his planned visit to the 36th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia. Just two days after confirming that Polanski would attend Gdynia to receive a lifetime achievement award and give a director's master class, festival organizers said the Oscar-winning director had changed his plans.
On their Web site, the festival gave no reason for Polanski's change of heart. Local commentators speculated the 76-year-old director may have been afraid crowds would protest his visit or that, as with a visit to the Zurich Film Festival two years ago, he would be arrested and face possible extradition to the United States.
Polanski still faces court proceedings linked to a 1977 case in which he is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. Several right-wing politicians in Poland have spoken out against his visit, saying Polanski is still a wanted man in the United States.
Though Polanski, a Polish-native, could theoretically travel safely to Poland, the director has been especially cautious after his release from Swiss incarceration last year. He was spotted at Switzerland's Montreaux Jazz Festival shortly after his release, but has not traveled widely outside his homes in France and Switzerland. He did not attend the European Film Awards in Estonia last December, instead accepting six prizes, including Best Film for The Ghostwriter via Skype.
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