Sebastián Lelio to Serve on Berlin International Film Festival Competition Jury

Sebastián Leliois ready to judge…

The Berlin International Film Festival, which gets underway next week, has revealed the competition jury for its 2019 edition, with the 44-year-old Oscar-winning Chilean-Argentine director earning a spot on the panel.

Sebastián Lelio

Lelio, who won an Academy Awardfor Best Foreign Language Film for helming A Fantastic Woman, will be joioned by German actress Sandra Hüllerand producer-director Trudie Styler.

They’ll join jury president Juliette Binocheto decide winners of the Goldenand Silver Bear awards.

Rounding out the jury are LA Times critic Justin Chang and Rajendra Roy, the Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Filmat New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Lelio’s A Fantastic Woman premiered at the festival in 2017 on its way to winning the 2018 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Binoche is a Berlinaleregular, having appeared in several competition films, including Lasse Hallstrom’s Chocolat in 2001 and Isabel Coixet’s Endless Night, which opened the festival in 2015. 

It’s All About Almodóvar & His Inspired Work in New York City

He’s written and directed cherished films like All About My Mother and VolverAnd, now Pedro Almodóvar is being recognized for his award-winning work.

The Museum of Modern Art honored the 62-year-old Oscar-nominated filmmaker with a special tribute during the museum’s fourth annual Film Benefit this evening in New York City.

Pedro Almodovar

Possibly the most successful and internationally acclaimed Spanish filmmaker of his generation, Almodóvar is renowned for the Academy Award-winning films Talk to Her and All About My Mother, as well as the award-winning films Broken Embraces, Volver, Bad Education and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. In all, Almodóvar’s career spans more than 30 years—with 18 films on his impressive resume.

His most recent critically-acclaimed film The Skin I Live In, starring Antonio Banderas, was released last month.

It’s no wonder Banderas and Almodóvar’s muse Penélope Cruz served as this year’s Film Benefit honorary co-chairs. Banderas has starred in six of the Spanish director’s films; Cruz, who scored a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her starring role in Almodóvar’s Volver, has starred in four.

During the special diner reception, which raises funds to ensure great works of cinema continue to join the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, organizers made a special presentation recognizing Almodóvar’s acclaimed directorial work.

Attendees included Blake Lively, Emma Stone, Sarah Jessica Parker and Drew Barrymore.