Chloe Zhao, director of <i>Nomadland</i>, will join fellow Oscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon-ho on the main jury at this year's Venice International Film Festival, organisers said on Wednesday. The judging line-up for the 78th iteration of the festival, held in the Italian lagoon city, will also include <i>Widows</i> and <i>Harriet</i> actress Cynthia Erivo and filmmaker Alexander Nanau, a nominee at this year's Oscars for documentary <i>Collective</i>. Virginie Efira, star of this month's Cannes Film Festival contender <i>Benedetta</i>, actress Sarah Gadon, known for <i>Alias Grace</i> and <i>Enemy</i>, and Italian director Saverio Costanzo complete the jury. Earlier this year, the festival had already announced <i>Parasite</i> director Bong as the president of the jury, which hands out the event's main Golden Lion prize. <i>Nomadland</i> won the award at Venice last September. This year's event runs from Wednesday, September 1 to Saturday, September 11. Zhao, who was born in China but lives and works in the US, won Venice's top prize last year when <i>Nomadland, </i>a recession-era portrait of itinerant people in the American West, took home a Golden Lion for best film. Starring Frances McDormand, the drama swept this year's awards season, picking up Best Picture at the Oscars and <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film/golden-globes-2021-the-most-memorable-moments-from-cute-kids-to-daniel-kaluuya-s-muted-zoom-1.1175170">Golden Globes</a> and Best Film at the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film/bafta-awards-2021-ma-rainey-s-black-bottom-wins-twice-on-opening-night-1.1200927">Baftas</a>. Zhao also <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film/oscars-2021-nomadland-filmmaker-chloe-zhao-becomes-first-woman-of-colour-to-win-best-director-1.1210825" target="_blank">made history</a> as the second woman and first woman of colour to win Best Director at the Academy Awards. During her Oscars speech, the filmmaker acknowledged the significance her win may have for minority groups. "If this means more people like me get to live their dreams, then I feel very grateful," she said. Next up, Zhao will helm the coming <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film/eternals-trailer-first-look-at-zain-al-rafeea-in-a-marvel-film-and-four-other-takeaways-1.1229624">Marvel film Eternals</a> starring Angelina Jolie and Gemma Chan, which is scheduled to be released on Friday, November 5. <i>- Additional reporting by Reuters</i>
