Meet the jury of the 70th Berlinale

English actor Jeremy Irons, born in 1948 on the Isle of Wight, leads this year's jury. Irons won an Oscar for best actor for his portrayal of an accused attempted murderer in the 1991 film "Reversal of Fortune." Not only does he cut an excellent figure in front of TV cameras, he's also appeared in numerous theater productions. He will announce who takes home the Berlin Film Festival's top awards.

Irons will be joined on the jury by six other film industry professionals. Together, they will watch the 18 films in the competition and dole out the prizes at the end of the festival. Director, author and producer Annemarie Jacir hails from Palestine. She's familiar with the film festival scene, since many of her movies have been screened at the likes of Cannes, Locarno and Berlin.

Aside from Jeremy Irons, the best-known jury member is probably Argentinian-born actress Berenice Bejo. She moved to France with her parents at the age of three and began her acting career in the mid 90s. Her big breakthrough came in 2011 when she starred in the award-winning film "The Artist." In 2013 Bejo received the best actress prize in Cannes.

Producers are less likely to be in the public eye than actors or directors, but fortunately German producer Bettina Brokemper is getting the attention she deserves as a member of this year's jury. A star among cinema producers in Germany, she has been running a successful production company for over 20 years. Brokemper has produced films by Lars von Trier and Margarethe von Trotta among others.

A man of many talents, Brazilian director Kleber Mendonca Filho first worked as a film critic before he started directing short films and documentaries. His first feature film debuted in 2012, making him well-known on the international film scene. In 2019, he received the Jury Prize in Cannes for his film "Bacurau."

Author and director Kenneth Lonergan represents the United States on the jury. The movie and stage author became known to audiences four years ago with his Oscar-winning feature film, "Manchester by the Sea." He had previously received an Oscar nomination for writing the screenplay of Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York."

Italian actor Luca Marinelli completes the Berlinale jury, and at 35 years old, he is also its youngest member. For the past decade, Marinelli has been making waves in front of the camera and winning over fans around the world. In 2019, he won the Volpi Cup for best actor at the Venice Film Festival for his role in the film adaptation of the Jack London novel, "Martin Eden."