Celebrated German director Wim Wenders will serve as the jury president at the 76th Berlin Film Festival in February.

“Wim Wenders is one of the most influential voices in international cinema. For six decades, he has made films that move and delight us with their humanity and sense of wonder,” said Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle in a statement. “His insatiable curiosity and deep mastery of film language are evident in every work, whether he is exploring the gifts of other artists or illuminating our own search for meaning and connection. To say we are proud of this homegrown polymath is an understatement, and we cannot wait to see where jury president Wim Wenders leads our jury in picking the Golden and Silver Bear winners of the 76th Berlinale.”

Added Wenders, “It never hit me to even remotely think about being jury president in my hometown until Tricia Tuttle asked me. And then I realized: Wow! That’ll be a whole new way to see films at the Berlinale, for once watch each and every one in the competition and discuss them all in-depth with a group of intelligent and movie-loving people. How good can it get? I’m grateful to Tricia to invite me to this rare experience.”

More to come…