Source: http://www.crazydaysandnights.net

It used to be this foreign born A/A- list director/underage sex assaulter could travel freely between two or three countries and it was understood he would not be extradited to the US.

That has apparently now changed and he must remain in his own country.

Roman Polanski

France
He holds dual French/Polish citizenship

Entire Board of the César Awards, the French Oscars, Resigns After Roman Polanski Nods

The 21-person board that runs the César Academy announced Thursday they are all jointly resigning after the upcoming César Awards, France’s equivalent to the Oscars. The awards ceremony is set to take place February 28. It’s a shocking announcement, the French equivalent of the film Academy’s board of governors—which includes Oscar winners Laura Dern, Whoopi Goldberg, and Steven Spielberg—departing from the 92-year-old film institution en masse.

The announcement arrives shortly after this year’s César nominations were announced. Leading the pack of nods this year? Roman Polanski and his film An Officer and a Spy, which earned 12 nominations total. Though Polanski, who pleaded guilty in 1977 for unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl, has been rejected by the U.S. film industry in the wake of the #MeToo movement, certain prestigious corners of France’s film industry have embraced the controversial director.

Per Variety, the board’s decision to step down stems from discord surrounding the César Academy’s practices, as well as protests spurred by Polanski’s nominations. In addition, the César Academy generated backlash after excluding venerated feminist figures like Claire Denis and author Virginie Despentes from a recent gala ahead of the ceremony.

There have also been clashes over the French academy’s lack of transparency over its voting process, in addition to a general lack of inclusivity. A recent petition calling for a “complete overhaul” of the organization signed by 400 prominent figures in the film industry, including stars like Léa Seydoux and director Michel Hazanavicius, was published in the French newspaper Le Monde on Tuesday, signaling the need for change within the César Academy’s ranks. Currently, there are about 4,700 members in the organization.

In the statement announcing the mass resignation, the exiting César board said it was making the move “to honor all those who made [French] cinema in 2019, and to gain back some serenity and ensure that the celebration of cinema remains a celebration,” per Variety. It’s unclear what steps will be taken to revamp the organization’s leadership after the César Awards take place.- Source

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