Darren Aronofsky will head the jury at the Venice Film Festival!

From The Guardian:

Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky is to head the jury for this year's Venice film festival, organisers have announced. The film-maker will follow in the controversial footsteps of fellow American Quentin Tarantino, who chaired last year's event.

Aronofsky is something of a favourite on the Lido, having received the Golden Lion top prize for The Wrestler in 2008. Black Swan, for which Natalie Portman won the best actress Oscar in March, was the festival opener last year and Aronofsky also entered The Fountain in the 2006 competition. Venice organisers praised the film-maker as "a key figure in contemporary film whose work constantly engages the evolution and mutations of the many languages of art".

Tarantino's tenure last year saw the Golden Lion for best film controversially delivered into the hands of Sofia Coppola for her film Somewhere, a slow-paced peek at Hollywood ennui. Some members of the Italian press accused the US film-maker of unfairly favouring the Lost in Translation director, who is an ex-girlfriend. Tarantino's friend Alex de la Iglesia also won two prizes for his film Balada Triste de Trompeta and one of the director's mentors, Monte Hellman, was handed a lifetime achievement prize created by the jury. The Italian culture minister labelled Tarantino's reign "the expression of an elitist, relativist and snobbish culture" and suggested he pick the jury this year to ensure the part state-funded festival improved its selections.

Aronofsky does not currently have a film shooting, having dropped out of superhero flick The Wolverine as he said he could not commit to being away from his family for the length of time required for production. This year's Venice festival, the 68th iteration, runs from 31 August to 10 September.

-Joey's Two Cents: As someone who loved Somewhere, I saw nothing wrong with that honor, but that's just me. I'll be very interested to see the type of film that Aronofsky favors...thoughts?