Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o will head the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, organizers announced Monday.
The 2024 "Berlinale," the first of the year's major European film festivals, will run from Feb. 15-25. It will be the last edition under the current leadership duo of executive director Mariette Rissenbeek and artistic director Carlo Chatrian.
Nyong'o "embodies what we like in cinema: versatility in embracing different projects, addressing different audiences, and consistency to one idea that is quite recognizable in her characters, as diverse as they may look," the directors said in a statement.
Nyong'o said she was "deeply honored" to serve as president of the international jury and looks forward to "celebrating and recognizing the outstanding work of filmmakers from around the world."
The Mexican-born daughter of Kenyan parents has directed and produced as well as acting, and is the author of a children's book, "Sulwe."
She won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 2014 for her role in "12 Years A Slave."
Organizers typically name the rest of the jury closer to the start of the event. This year, a seven-member jury under actress Kristen Stewart chose the winners of the competition, giving the top Golden Bear award to French director Nicolas Philibert's documentary "On the Adamant."
News of Nyong'o's appointment as jury president came the day before Germany's culture minister, Claudia Roth, plans to announce who will take over the festival from Rissenbeek and Chatrian. Roth has said the festival should in the future be led by one person.
Civil rights groups call on major corporations to stick with DEI programs
A broad group of civil rights organizations called on the CEOs and board members of major companies Thursday to maintain their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have come under attack online and in lawsuits.
An open letter signed by 19 organizations and directed at the leaders of Fortune 1000 companies said companies that abandon their DEI programs are shirking their fiduciary responsibility to employees, consumers and shareholders.
The civil rights groups included the NAACP, the National Organization for Women, the League of United Latin American Citizens, Asian Americans Advancing Justice and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
"Diversity, equity and inclusion programs, policies, and practices make business-sense and they're broadly popular among the public, consumers, and employees," their statement read. "But a small, well-funded, and extreme group of right-wing activists is attempting to pressure companies into abandoning their DEI programs."
Companies such as Ford, Lowes, John Deere, Molson Coors and Harley-Davidson recently announced they would pull back on their diversity, equity and inclusion policies after facing pressure from conservative activists who were emboldened by recent victories in the courtroom.
Many major corporations have been examining their diversity programs in the wake of a Supreme Court decision last year that declared race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions unconstitutional. Dozens of cases have been filed making similar arguments about employers. Critics of DEI programs say the initiatives provide benefits to people of one race or sexual orientation while excluding others.
In their letter, the civil rights organizations, which also included... Read More