Acclaimed Chinese actor Zhang Ziyi has been named as part of the three-person Platform Jury for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The other two members are directors Brian De Palma and Mahamat-Saleh Haroun. They will award a prize of $25,000 to the best Platform selection, to be announced at the TFF awards ceremony on Sept 18.

Platform is a programme that champions directors' cinema from around the world.

"We are honoured to have De Palma, Haroun, and Zhang on the Platform Jury for the programme's second year. Each one of them brings a breadth of expertise and experience in visionary filmmaking, artistic direction, and unprecedented, bold narratives," said Piers Handling, director and CEO of TIFF, in a release.

"We are thankful to our esteemed jury for making the time to be here this September to celebrate our renewed commitment to artistically ambitious filmmaking with Platform."

Inspired by Chinese director Jia Zhang-ke's groundbreaking film of the same name, Platform shines the spotlight on 12 films of high artistic merit that demonstrate a strong directorial vision. The lineup was announced on Aug 11 and includes Daguerrotype, Goldstone and 10 other films.

"Platform's vision is championing aesthetic magnificence, and De Palma, Zhang and Haroun have all either created or been a part of films that have inspired, revolutionized and transformed the filmmaking industry," said Cameron Bailey, artistic director of TIFF. "We are thrilled the jury members will be able to share their wealth of knowledge with this year's Platform filmmakers who are creating groundbreaking narrative forms. We can't wait for the jury to join us in Toronto and be a part of Platform's history."

Born in Beijing, Zhang is an international superstar who has brought strong, multi-dimensional female characters to the screen. She first came to prominence in Ang Lee's Academy Award–winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), garnering international award nominations and global stardom.

She successfully crossed over into the North American film industry, starring in the film adaptation of Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), for which she received Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. Zhang will also be participating in the Festival's In Conversation With … event on Sept 15 at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

renali@chinadailyusa.com