China's Zhang Yimou to chair Venice film fest jury

Internationally acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou will chair the jury of this year's Venice film festival, organizers said on Tuesday.

Zhang, a member of China's "Fifth generation" of filmmakers, is best known in the West for his movies "Raise the Red Lantern" (1991) and "House of Flying Daggers" (2004), both of which were nominated for Oscars.

He is a darling on the Venice Lido, where his films have scooped four major awards in less than 10 years, making him the festival's biggest prize winner. He took the Golden Lion in 1992 and 1999 and a Silver Lion in 1991.

Once the bad boy of Chinese cinema whose films were banned on the mainland, Zhang has been recruited by Beijing's Olympics organizers to direct the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Games.

He is the second Chinese national to have presided on the jury of the world's oldest film festival, at its 75th edition this year.

Actress Gong Li, whom Zhang made into an international star and with whom he had a long personal relationship, chaired the Venice jury in 2002.

She stars in Zhang's latest film, "Curse of the Golden Flower," which has been criticized at home for its violent content and skimpily attired actresses.

The festival runs from Aug 29 to Sept 8.