Jeremy Irons to head jury at Berlin film festival 2020

BERLIN: British actor Jeremy Irons, who won an Oscar in 1991 for "Reversal of Fortune", will head the jury at the 70th anniversary of the Berlin film festival this year, organisers revealed on Thursday.

Carlo Chatrian, Berlinale artistic director,   said: "Jeremy Irons, with his distinctive style,  has embodied some iconic characters that have accompanied me throughout my journey in cinema, making me aware of the complexity of human beings. His talent and the choices he has taken both as an artist and as a citizen make me feel proud to welcome him as president of the jury for the 70th edition of the Berlinale."

Expressing his  pleasure to take the chair of the event, Irons said: "It is with feelings of great pleasure and not inconsiderable honor that I take on the role of president of the International Jury for the Berlinale 2020.

Irons, who has been  active in film since the 1980s, won both the Best Actor Academy Award and the Golden Globe in 1991 for his role in "Reversal of Fortune" by Barbet Schroeder.

Over the decades he has appeared in dozens of productions across all kinds of films, ranging from blockbusters like "Die Hard: With A Vengeance" to the controversial film adaption of Vladimir Nabokov´s novel "Lolita".

His most recent film at the Berlinale was "Night Train to Lisbon" by Bille August in 2013, while he is currently on US small screens in HBO´s comic book-based series "Watchmen".

This year´s edition of the film festival runs from February 20 to March 1.