ROME • Nomadland director Chloe Zhao will join fellow Oscar-winning film-maker Bong Joon-ho on the main jury at this year's Venice International Film Festival, organisers said on Wednesday.

The annual international festival, to be held on the glitzy island of Lido from Sept 1 to 11, will be headed by Bong, jury president and the South Korean director whose Parasite (2019) won four awards at the Oscars last year, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Zhao, who was born in China but lives and works in the United States, collected Venice's top prize last year, when Nomadland (2020) took home a Golden Lion for Best Film before going on to win three awards at the Oscars this year - for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress for Frances McDormand.

The judging line-up for the 78th edition of the festival will also include Widows (2018) and Harriet (2019) actress Cynthia Erivo and film-maker Alexander Nanau, a nominee at this year's Oscars for documentary Colectiv (2019).

Belgian actress Virginie Efira, star of this month's Cannes Film Festival contender Benedetta (2021); Canadian actress Sarah Gadon, known for the miniseries Alias Grace (2017) and the movie Enemy (2013); and Italian director Saverio Costanzo complete the line-up.

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's latest movie Madres Paralelas (Parallel Mothers) will open the festival.

The Venice Film Festival is the world's oldest and among the most prestigious, rivalling Cannes and Berlin.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS