South Korea's Bong Joon-ho, the
director of Parasite, was named as the president of the jury of
the 78th Venice Film Festival on Friday.
A statement said the decision was made by the Board of Directors
of the La Biennale di Venezia, who confirmed the recommendation
of the Director of the Venice Film Festival, Alberto Barbera.
The jury will assign the Golden Lion for Best Film, as well as
other official awards, at the 2021 festival, which runs from
September 1 to 11.
"The Venice International Film Festival carries with it a long
and varied history, and I'm honored to be woven into its
beautiful cinematic tradition," said Bong.
"As president of the jury - and more importantly as a perpetual
cinephile - I'm ready to admire and applaud all the great films
selected by the festival. I'm filled with genuine hope and
excitement",
Barbera described Bong as "one of the most authentic and
original voices in worldwide cinema.
"We are immensely grateful to him for having agreed to put his
passion as a cinephile attentive, inquisitive, and unprejudiced,
at the service of our festival," he added.
"It is a pleasure and an honor to be able to share the joy of
this moment with the countless admirers, throughout the world,
of his extraordinary movies.
"The decision to entrust the Jury to a Korean filmmaker, for the
first time in the festival's history, is also confirmation that
the Venetian event embraces the cinema of the entire world, and
that directors from every country know they can consider Venice
their second home".
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