Director Bong Joon Ho becomes the first South Korean to be named the jury president of the '2021 Venice Film Festival'

Renowned Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho set another milestone in history as he becomes the first to be named jury president of the '2021 Venice Film Festival' from South Korea.

According to the official homepage of the film festival, director Bong Joon Ho stated, "Venice International Film Festival carries with it a long and varied history, and I’m honored to be woven into its beautiful cinematic tradition. As president of the jury — and more importantly, as a perpetual cinephile — I’m ready to admire and applaud all the great films selected by the festival. I’m filled with genuine hope and excitement,"

Alberto Barbera, artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, announced that director Bong would serve as the president of the film festival's jury by stating, "He is one of the most authentic and original voices in worldwide cinema. We are immensely grateful to him for having agreed to put his passion as a cinephile attentive, inquisitive, and unprejudiced at the service of our festival. It is a pleasure and an honor to be able to share the joy of this moment with countless admirers, throughout the world, of his extraordinary movies."

Considered one of the three major film festivals, alongside Cannes Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival is the only major festival to hold its event in person in the coming September amid the COVID19 outbreak.