The Zurich Film Festival received an unexpected international focus in the media when the news of Polanski arrest became public.
Roman Polanski was arrested september 26th by Swiss police on his arrival at the Zurich airport in connection with a 32-year-old sex case at the request of U.S. authorities as the director arrived in the country to receive his award at the Zurich Film Festival. French minister of culture Frederic Mitterand, declared "There is a face of USA that we love, but today America has shown us the worse..."
The festival representatives will comment later.

The planned "A Tribute to ..." Award ceremony for film maker Roman Polanski will go ahead in his absence. Roman Polanski, one of the greatest film directors of our time would have received an award for his life's achievement at the Zurich Film Festival. However, he was detained by the police upon his entry at Zurich Airport. His detention is linked to the demand by US-authorities to a warrant for his arrest in 1978.

The festival directors have received this news with great consternation and shock. They have decided that the "A Tribute to ... Roman Polanski" night will take place with a few changes.

Here`s the programme of events:
7:30 pm: Beginning of Red Carpet, cinema corso, Theaterstr. 10
8:30 pm: Beginning of ceremony

Speeches:
Nadja Schildknecht
Karl Spoerri
"A Tribute to ... Roman Polanski" film clip (11 minutes)
Followed by the following statements:
-Pierre-Yves Sonalet, French Embassy
-EFA member
-Julia Solomonoff (speaking for the directors of the competition)
Afterwards:
Film screening: "Wanted and Desired" by Marina Zenovich
We have created a blog to spread the word http://www.fest21.com/en/blog/release_polanski
A cause on facebook Release Polanski http://apps.facebook.com/causes/361937
And a petition on twitter http://twitition.com/48eei


Help us, help him:
We want more messages like this one from EFA.
The following solidarity note was issued yesterday and read out at the Zurich Film Festival's special event held in honour of Roman Polanski: "As members of the European Film Academy and the European film community we protest at the arbitrary treatment of one of the world's most outstanding film directors. We declare our deep respect for our colleague and friend Roman Polanski and we demand his immediate release. Wim Wenders Volker Schloendorff Victoria Abril Peter Suschitzky Jean-Claude Carriere Bertrand Tavernier "