quote:DEAUVILLE, France - Roman Polanski (news) finally took home his Academy Award statue for best director this weekend, nearly six months after winning for "The Pianist."
Harrison Ford (news), a friend of Polanski and the star of his 1988 movie "Frantic," handed the director the prize Sunday at the Deauville film festival. Ford also had announced Polanski's win at the March 23 ceremony in Los Angeles, which the director didn't attend.
Polanski faces arrest in the United States since pleading guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl. He was charged with rape and five other felonies in 1977.
As part of a deal with prosecutors, Polanski pleaded guilty to having unlawful sex with a minor, then fled Los Angeles for Paris in 1978 to evade sentencing.
The 70-year-old is presiding over the jury at Deauville, on the Normandy coast.
"The Pianist" won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival (news - web sites), and also earned Oscars (news - web sites) for best adapted screenplay and best actor. Adrien Brody (news) starred as Polish-Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, who eluded the Nazis in the Warsaw ghetto.
