Roman Polanski at Karlovy Vary Festival

The award for outstanding contribution to world cinema went to world famous film director Roman Polanski.

Polanski marked his American directorial debut with the horror classic "Rosemary's Baby" (1968), for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay Adaptation. In 1972, Polanski returned to Europe to direct his adaptation (co-written with Kenneth Tynan) of Shakespeare's "Macbeth," and in 1973 he directed Marcello Mastroianni in the absurdist comedy "What?" 1974 marked Polanski's return to Hollywood with "Chinatown," Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay, and nominated for eleven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director.