Kenyan Actress Lupita Nyong’o Named President of Berlin Film Festival Jury 2024

By Samuel Ouma

Lupita Nyong'o, a Kenyan-Mexican actor, will lead the jury at Berlin's international film festival in February next year, announced the organizers on Monday.

The Berlinale, the year's first major European film festival, will take place from February 15 to 25.

The 74th edition of the event will be the last one under the direction of the present executive directors, Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek, the artistic director.

“Lupita Nyong'o embodies what we appreciate 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. We are happy and proud that she has accepted our invitation to be the jury president of the 74th Berlinale,” Berlinale directors Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian said in a joint statement.

Lupita celebrated her breakthrough in 2014 when she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave."

Since then, she has established herself as one of the most prominent worldwide actors, inspiring viewers and film critics.

Lupita Nyong'o is also engaged on the Broadway stage and published the children's book "Sulwe" in 2020, which debuted on the New York Times Best Sellers list.

She is currently preparing a podcast focusing on non-fictional storytelling from the African diaspora.

She was recently the executive producer of the Sudanese film “Goodbye Julia,” which was selected by the Sudanese National Committee operating in exile to compete for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.