娱乐英语新闻:Chinese director Wong Kar Wai to lead jury of Berlinale 2013

BERLIN, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese award-winning director Wong Kar Wai will be the Jury President of Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) next year, organizers said here on Tuesday.

Wong, 54, is set to lead the jury, usually consisting of six or seven members, to choose the winners of the Golden and Silver Bear prizes among dozens of films in the main competition sectors. He is the second Chinese filmmaker to head the Berlinale jury after the famed actress Gong Li in 2000.

"Wong Kar Wai is one of the most celebrated filmmakers of our time. His distinctive signature and the poetry of his works have fascinated all of us," festival director Dieter Kosslick said in a statement.

"Since the 1980s, the Berlinale has established itself as a platform for contemporary Chinese cinema, which is another reason why we are greatly honoured that Wong Kar Wai will be presiding the International Jury 2013," Kosslick added.

Born in Shanghai and now living in Hong Kong, Wong is one of the major representatives of modern Chinese films. He made his directorial debut "As Tears Go by" in 1988, and first screened his work "Days of Being Wild" in the Berlinale in 1991.

In 1997, he won the Award for Best Director in Cannes for "Happy Together."

In 2000, Wong's nostalgic love story "In the Mood for Love" received a Cesar Award, the national film award of France, and his next science fiction-tinged film "2046" won a European Film Award for Best Non-European Film in 2004.

In 2006, Wong became the first Chinese director to sit on the jury at Cannes film festival.

"I am truly honoured by Dieter's invite. I am also very happy to return to Berlin and see the latest work of filmmakers from all over the world. It would be a fulfilling experience for any cineaste," said Wong, who is currently working on "The Grandmasters" with the Chinese actor Tony Leung Chiu Wai and actress Zhang Ziyi.

The next year's Berlinale, the 63rd edition, is due to run from Feb. 7 to 17.