Hollywood director Aronofsky to lead Berlin fest jury

US director and screenwriter Darren Aronofsky will serve as president of the jury at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival in February, organisers said Tuesday.
The filmmaker behind "Black Swan", "The Wrestler" and this year's blockbuster "Noah" will lead the panel that hands out the Golden and Silver Bear top prizes at Europe's first major cinema showcase of the year.
"Darren Aronofsky has distinguished himself as an outstanding protagonist in contemporary auteur cinema," festival director Dieter Kosslick said in a statement.
"In his artistic approach, he consistently sounds out cinematic language and its aesthetic possibilities."
The Berlinale, as the event is known, will run February 5-15 and feature new movies from five continents.
"At the Berlinale, the cinema is always exciting and fascinating," Aronofsky was quoted as saying.
"I am looking forward to watching the latest from the greatest in one of the great cities on the planet."
Aronofsky won best director at the Sundance film festival in 1998 for his debut "Pi".
His drama "Requiem for a Dream" and the cult film "The Fountain" ran to acclaim at Cannes and Venice.
And "The Wrestler" featuring Mickey Rourke in a comeback role won Venice's Golden Lion top prize in 2008.
Aronofsky garnered a best director Academy Award nomination for 2011's psychological thriller "Black Swan" starring Natalie Portman.
And his biblical epic "Noah" with Russell Crowe in the title role conquered international box offices this year.
Chinese director Diao Yinan took home the 2014 Golden Bear for his noir thriller "Black Coal, Thin Ice".