ROME (AFP).- South Korean director Bong Joon-ho, whose "Parasite" movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture last year, was named Friday as jury president of the 2021 Venice Film Festival.

"I'm ready to admire and applaud all the great films selected by the festival. I'm filled with genuine hope and excitement," Bong said in a statement issued by festival organisers.

Festival director Alberto Barbera said Bong would be the first South Korean jury president, and saluted him as "one of the most authentic and original voices in worldwide cinema."

"Parasite," a dark comedy about the gap between rich and poor, made history as the first non-English-language movie to win an Oscar for Best Picture.

It also picked up three other statuettes at the Academy Awards for Best Director, Best International Feature and Best Original Screenplay.

The Venice Film Festival is one of the most prestigious in the world, rivalling with Cannes and Berlin, and the oldest. Its 78th edition is scheduled for September 1-11, 2021.



© Agence France-Presse