VENICE: Roman Polanski's new film premieres in Venice Friday after the defiant director lashed out at critics and as fury over his inclusion in the festival cast a shadow over the star-studded celebration of cinema.

Polanski's "An Officer and a Spy", a historical thriller about the persecution of the French Jewish army officer Alfred Dreyfus, has been a lightning rod for criticism of the film festival, already embroiled in a second year of controversy over the place of female filmmakers.

The 86-year-old director, who has been a fugitive from the US since he was convicted for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old in 1978, is not due to appear for the screening of the film on Friday evening.

Venice festival organisers have been forced to defend the decision to include "An Officer and a Spy" among the 21 movies selected to compete for the top prize. Only two films in the running are directed by women.

Critics have said it is out of touch in the era of #MeToo movement.

But Polanski, an Oscar-winning director of "The Pianist" and "Chinatown", has hit back, releasing an interview with French writer Pascal Bruckner in which he dismissed new abuse claims against him.

He said these were "absurd stories by women I have never seen before in my life who accuse me of things which supposedly happened more than half a century ago".

The Polish-born director of "Rosemary's Baby" also drew a parallel with his film, which traces the history of the late 19th century Dreyfus Affair -- the wrongful conviction of a Jewish officer against a backdrop of virulent anti-Semitism.

"In the story, I sometimes find moments I have experienced myself, I can see the same determination to deny the facts and condemn me for things I have not done. Most of the people who harass me do not know me and know nothing about the case," Polanski said.

- 'J'accuse' -

"An Officer and a Spy" stars French Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin, as well as Polanski's wife Emmanuelle Seigne, and tells the story of the counter-espionage officer who proved that Dreyfus had been wrongly accused of spying for the Germans.

The Dreyfus scandal sent shockwaves through France when it burst into the open with explosive newspaper revelations by the writer Emile Zola published under the headline "J'accuse" (I accuse), which is the film's title in French.

The case divided France for more than a decade from 1894 and exposed an establishment laced with prejudice and hellbent on protecting itself at the expense of the truth.

The script has been written by British novelist Robert Harris, who previously worked with Polanski on the critically-acclaimed "The Ghost Writer" in 2010 starring Ewan McGregor.

- A 'last master' of cinema -

In his 1977 case, Polanski was accused of drugging a 13-year-old girl before raping her at film star Jack Nicholson's house in Los Angeles.

He admitted statutory rape after a number of more serious charges were dropped, and spent an initial 42 days in jail before getting out on bail ahead of his trial.

But in 1978, convinced a judge was going to scrap his plea deal and send him to prison for decades, he fled to France and has been on the run ever since.

The case has had renewed resonance in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

"This is a new world and behaviour that would have been swept under the carpet and dismissed as 'this is just the way it is' is no longer acceptable," Melissa Silverstein, founder of Women and Hollywood, told AFP.

Polanski is suing the Academy of Motion Pictures for stripping him of his membership.

Venice festival director Alberto Barbera defended Polanski's inclusion in competition, calling him "one of the last masters still active in European cinema", adding "we have to distinguish between the art and the man".

But the controversy has sparked heated debate.

Argentine filmmaker Lucrecia Martel, president of the judging panel for this year's Golden Lion top award, told the festival's opening news conference that the inclusion of Polanski had made her "uncomfortable".

But she later released a statement stressing that she had no "prejudice" against the film and would watch it in the same way as the other competition entries.

The festival is also facing criticism for presenting a new film in a side event from director Nate Parker, who was embroiled in a rape trial while still at university.—AFP