Wong Kar Wai to head Berlinale 2013 Jury

Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai will be the Jury President of the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival.

Wong Kar Wai was born in Shanghai and grew up in Hong Kong. He made his directorial debut in 1988 with As Tears Go By. His work  Days of Being Wild, which screened in the Berlinale Forum in 1991, was followed in 1994 by Chungking Express, the film with which Wong Kar Wai achieved his international breakthrough. He again demonstrated his remarkable talent in his Berlinale contribution Fallen Angels (Forum,1996).

In 1997 he won the Award for Best Director in Cannes for Happy Together. He captivated still another generation of European moviegoers with the nostalgic love story In the Mood for Love (2000), which received a César in 2001.

My Blueberry Nights (2007) was the first film that Wong Kar Wai shot in the USA with Hollywood stars.

Wong Kar Wai is currently working on The Grandmasters, which features Tony Leung and Ziyi Zhang in the leads.

“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. For him to become jury president, is a wish come true. Since the 1980’s, 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,” says Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick.

“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,” comments Wong Kar Wai.

Posted by NewsDesk on Aug 28 2012. Filed under Features & Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.