Werner Herzog to head Berlin Film Festival jury

The Berlin film festival, known as the Berlinale, ranks below Cannes and alongside Venice among the world's top film festivals.

Oscar-nominated German director Werner Herzog will lead the international jury at the 60th Berlin Film Festival from February 11-21, organisers said on Thursday.

The critically acclaimed Herzog, 67, will head the panel that chooses the winners of the festival's coveted Golden and Silver Bear prizes which will be awarded on February 20.

- Werner Herzog's films convey the artistic strength of cinema. We are very pleased to have this outstanding director as Jury President for the 60th anniversary of the festival - festival head Dieter Kosslick said in a statement.

Over a career spanning almost 50 years, Herzog has made more than 50 films. In 2009, Time magazine listed him as one of its top 100 most influential people in the world. The only other German on the list was Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He won an Oscar nomination for best documentary feature for his 2007 film "Encounters at the End of the World" and has a glittering array of awards from film festivals around the globe.

The Berlin film festival, known as the Berlinale, ranks below Cannes and alongside Venice among the world's top film festivals.

Last year's jury president was Oscar-winning Scottish actress Tilda Swinton.