Yahoo News Lupita Nyong’o Named Berlin Film Festival Jury President
Lupita Nyong’o, the Oscar-winning Kenyan-Mexican actor and filmmaker, will preside over the international jury of the upcoming Berlin Film Festival. She will be the second consecutive female jury president at the Berlinale, following fellow actor Kristen Stewart.
“Lupita Nyong’o embodies what we like in cinema: versatility in embracing different projects, addressing different audiences, and consistency to one idea that is quite recognisable in her characters, as diverse as they may look,” said Berlinale directors Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian.
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Lupita Nyong’o, who broke through in “12 Years a Slave,” said she was “deeply honored to serve as the President of the International Jury of the Berlin International Film Festival.”
“I look forward to celebrating and recognising the outstanding work of filmmakers from around the world,” Nyong’o continued.
On top of winning a best supporting Oscar for her performance in “12 Years a Slave,” she has received the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Critics’ Choice Award, the Independent Spirit Award and the NAACP Image Award. She went on to garner further acclaim with her role as the warrior Nakia in “Black Panther” and its sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Her other credits include “Us,” “Little Monsters,” “Queen of Katwe,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “The 355.” Her upcoming projects include the horror franchise spin-off series “A Quiet Place: Day One.”
Nyong’o is also involved behind the camera. She recently executive produced the Sudanese film “Goodbye Julia,” directed by Mohamed Kordofani. The movie was selected by the Sudanese National Committee operating in exile to compete in the international feature film race at the Oscars.
An outspoken activist, Nyong’o is currently preparing a podcast focussing on non-fictional storytelling from the African diaspora. One of her projects is a series based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Americanah.” Nyong is also an author, having penned the New York Times bestselling children’s book “Sulwe” in 2020.
This 74th Berlin Film Festival will mark the last under the current leadership. Both Rissenbeek and Chatrian will step down after this edition as their respective mandate ends. The festival’s future director will be announced tomorrow during a press conference in Berlin.
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