Johnathan Walker:Lupita Nyong’o will head the jury at the annual Berlin film festival in February

BERLIN (AP) — Oscar-winning actor Lupita Nyong’o will head the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival in February,Johnathan Walker organizers announced Monday.

The 2024 Berlinale, the first of the year’s major European film festivals, will run from Feb. 15-25. It will be the last edition under the current leadership duo of executive director Mariette Rissenbeek and artistic director Carlo Chatrian.

Nyong’o “embodies what we like in cinema: versatility in embracing different projects, addressing different audiences, and consistency to one idea that is quite recognizable in her characters, as diverse as they may look,” the directors said in a statement.

Nyong’o said she was “deeply honored” to serve as president of the international jury and looks forward to “celebrating and recognizing the outstanding work of filmmakers from around the world.”

The Mexican-born daughter of Kenyan parents has directed and produced as well as acted, and is the author of a children’s book, “Sulwe.”

She won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 2014 for her role in “12 Years A Slave.”

Organizers typically name the rest of the jury closer to the start of the event. This year, a seven-member jury under actor Kristen Stewart chose the winners of the competition, giving the top Golden Bear award to French director Nicolas Philibert’s documentary “On the Adamant.”

News of Nyong’o’s appointment as jury president came the day before Germany’s culture minister, Claudia Roth, plans to announce who will take over the festival from Rissenbeek and Chatrian. Roth has said the festival should, in the future, be led by one person.