"Fargo" Actor McDormand to Lead Berlin Film Festival Jury
January 19, 2004Oscar-winning actor and independent cinema star Frances McDormand will head the jury of the Berlin International Film Festival, organizers of the prestigious event announced Monday. McDormand will be joined by six other jurors, including Italian actor Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf and U.S. movie theater owner and distributor Dan Talbot. The jury awards the "Golden Bear" for the best film in the competition and six "Silver Bears" in categories such as "Best Director" and "Best Actor." The yearly festival, widely regarded as one of the three most important film competitions along with the Cannes and Venice film festivals, will run from Feb. 5-15. Festival audiences will have the opportunity to watch McDormand, who received an Academy Award for her role in the 1996 film "Fargo," alongside Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton in the film "Something's Gotta Give" from 2003.