Roman Polanski has won the award for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival.
The Polish-born film-maker, who is currently under house arrest in Gstaad, is said to be "very happy" about the news.
The Ghost Writer is a thriller based on a novel by Robert Harris. It focuses on a former UK Prime Minister, played by Piers Brosnan, who becomes entangled in a war crimes scandal. Ewan McGregor, the ghost writer of the PM's autobiography, is sucked into a sinister web of deceit.
Polanski was arrested on September 26th 2009, on his way to collect a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival. He had fled the U.S in 1978, in the midst of a sex abuse case relating to unlawful intercourse with a minor. The director finished editing The Ghost Writer under surveillance, whilst on bail at his Swiss residence. US Judge Peter Espinoza has ruled that Polanski must be present in court during sentencing.
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