Lupita Nyong’o To Head Jury At 74th Berlin Film Festival

Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker Lupita Nyong’o has been selected to preside as jury president over the upcoming 74th Berlin International Film Festival, becoming the second consecutive female lead of the prestigious panel after 2022’s president, Kristen Stewart.

Festival directors Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian praised Nyong’o’s “versatility in embracing different projects” and her “consistency to one idea” across her diverse roles, Variety reported.

Nyong’o said she feels “deeply honored to serve as the President of the International Jury” and looks forward “to celebrating and [recognizing] the outstanding work of filmmakers from around the world.”

The Kenyan-Mexican actor first garnered acclaim for her supporting performance in 12 Years a Slave, winning the Oscar, Screen Actors Guild Award, Critics’ Choice Award, Independent Spirit Award and NAACP Image Award. She went on to star as the warrior Nakia in Black Panther and its hit sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Her other major credits include the psychological horror Us, zombie comedy Little Monsters, biopic Queen of Katwe, and sci-fi epic Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Upcoming projects feature the spin-off series A Quiet Place: Day One.

Beyond acting, Nyong’o is involved behind the camera as an executive producer on films like the Sudanese drama Goodbye Julia, selected by Sudan to compete for the International Feature Oscar.

An outspoken activist, she is also preparing a podcast on African diaspora stories and adapting Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel Americanah into a series. Nyong’o made her writing debut in 2020 with the New York Times bestselling children’s book Sulwe.

The 2023 Berlin Film Festival will mark the end of Rissenbeek and Chatrian’s leadership, with a new director set to be announced during the festival’s press conference in Berlin, Variety noted.

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