US director Payne to head Venice Film Festival jury

Venice Film Festival organisers announced on Monday that US film director Alexander Payne would be president of the competition's jury this year.

Payne, 64, has won two Oscars and two Golden Globes for his screenplays and is best known for films such as "Sideways", "The Descendants" and "About Schmidt".

"It's an enormous honour and joy to serve on the jury at Venice," Payne said in a statement released by the festival's organisers, La Biennale di Venezia.

"I couldn't be more excited," he added.

The Biennale's board of directors followed the recommendation of Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera, the statement said.

"Alexander Payne belongs to the small circle of filmmakers-cinephiles whose passion for cinema is fuelled by knowledge of films of the past and curiosity about contemporary cinema, without boundaries or barriers of any kind," 

Barbera said, adding that the American was the "ideal" candidate for the role.

The jury at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival will decide who wins the Golden Lion for best film and other prizes.

Payne, who has never won a prize in Venice, made his feature film debut with "Citizen Ruth" in 1996.

"Sideways" won him both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best screenplay.

In the same category, he won an Oscar for "The Descendants" and a Golden Globe for "About Schmidt".

The 82nd Venice Film Festival takes place in the watery Italian city from August 27 to September 6.