The jury of the 60th Berlin Film Festival (February 11-21, 2010) will be presided by Werner Herzog, a major figure of New German Cinema and international auteur film.

In a career spanning almost 50 years, the Munich-born filmmaker (who currently lives in the United States) has not only directed over 50 narrative and documentary films, but has also worked as a producer, screenwriter and actor. Moreover, he has directed operas and founded the Rogue Film School for emerging directors.
Renowned for his involvement in cinema and the arts, he recently made a significant donation of documents and archive material to the German Cinematheque. This year, TIME Magazine ranked him among the world’s 100 most influential personalities and he presented not one but two titles in competition at the latest Venice Film Festival (My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans).

Besides his nationality, his links with the Berlin Festival go back a long way, for he was discovered there in 1968, winning the Silver Bear for Best Debut Film for Signs of Life. In 1979, he returned to present Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night in competition.

His work has also been honoured at Cannes, where he picked up the Special Jury Prize for The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser in 1975 and Best Director for Fitzcarraldo in 1982.

Dieter Kosslick, director of the Berlinale, said he was "delighted to have this remarkable filmmaker as jury president at the festival’s 60th anniversary edition".