Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko becomes a member of the Berlinale's International Jury

Berlin, Germany (Svidomi) — Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko has been elected to the International Jury of the Berlin International Film Festival, the festival's website says.

The festival will take place February 15-25 in Berlin. The jury presents awards such as the Golden Bear for Best Film (awarded to the film's producers), the Silver Bear for Best Director, Best Leading Performance, Best Supporting Performance, Best Screenplay, Outstanding Artistic Contribution and others.

In addition to Oksana Zabuzhko, the jury also included Kenyan-Mexican actress, director, producer and New York Times bestselling author Lupita Nyong'o; American director and actor Brady Corbet; director Ann Hui from Hong Kong; director of contemporary German cinema Christian Petzold; Spanish director Albert Serra; and Italian actress and director Jasmine Trinca.

Oksana Zabuzhko has published over 20 books, including poetry, prose and non-fiction. She studied philosophy at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, received her doctorate from the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, and then taught as a guest professor at universities in the United States: Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, and Harvard. Her works have been translated into many languages. Her most famous works are "The Museum of Abandoned Secrets" and "Fieldwork on Ukrainian Sex".

It is the second time a representative of Ukraine will be a member of the festival's main jury. Andrii Kurkov, a writer, was the first to join the jury in 2005.