WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's top filmmakers are demanding artistic independence for the nation's prestigious film festival after a politically charged movie was withdrawn.

The filmmakers guild wants the selection procedure for the Polish Film Festival to be independent from its organizers, which include the Culture Ministry.

The appeal came late Wednesday, after the last-minute withdrawal of a movie inspired by a pyramid scheme that was revealed in 2012, when the current government's opponents were in power.

The "Solid Gold" movie was generally believed to be harmful to the opposition ahead of Oct. 13 elections, but its producers had it withdrawn after its director refused to re-edit it. Government-controlled television TVP is among its producers.

Oscar-winning Pawel Pawlikowski and other filmmakers demanded that the selection of movies for the festival be independent of the organizing body.