Chinese director Jia Zhangke joins Cannes festival jury

From top: Director Jia Zhangke (fourth from left) with several members of the cast of his new film A Touch of Sin in Cannes, France, and two scenes from the film. Gao Jing / Xinhua

'Tian Zhu Ding' screens in Cannes

PARIS, April 28 -- Chinese director, screenwriter and producer Jia Zhangke joined members of the jury at the 67th Cannes film festival, organizers announced Monday.

The jury will be headed by New Zealand artist Jane Campion, the only female director to have won the prestigious Palme d'Or -- the festival's top prize.

Jia Zhangke, 44, will be joined by seven other jurors including French actress Carole Bouquet, US director Sofia Coppola, Iranian actress Leila Hatami, Jeon Do-yeon from South Korea, American actor Williem Dafae, Gael Garcia Bezrnal from Mexico and Nicolas Winding Refn from Denmark.

Jia Zhangke attended the Beijing Film Academy in the 1990s. After the success of his first film Xiao Wu in 1998, Jia directed films such as Platform (Zhantai) and Unknown Pleasures (Ren xiao yao). The latter movies were selected by the Venice and Cannes film festivals respectively.

The Chinese artist won the Golden Lion in Venice in 2006 for Still Life. Last year, he was awarded the best screenplay prize for A Touch of Sin at Cannes by the jury presided by Steven Spielberg.

The Cannes film festival, or the Europe's biggest film gathering, runs from May 14 to 25 with 18 films competing for the Palme D'Or.

This year's event will begin with the screening of French director Olivier Dahan's film, Grace de Monaco.