Film Music Reporter

It was announced today that Alexandre Desplat has been named president of the International Jury for the Competition section of the 71st Venice International Film Festival, which will run from August 27 to September 6. It marks the first time that a film composer has been chosen to head the jury, which comprise nine members and decide on the winner of the Golden Lion for Best Film and other awards. Desplat is known for his collaborations with directors Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life), Roman Polanski (The Ghost Writer), George Clooney (The Monuments Men) among many others. He received six Academy Award nominations for such films as The Queen, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The King’s Speech, Argo and Philomena. The composer’s upcoming projects include Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken, Matteo Garrone’s The Tale of Tales, Roman Polanski’s D and Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game.