Actress Zhao Wei selected for Venice International Film Festival jury

Zhao Wei, the Chinese mainland actress and director, has been selected as one of nine main jury members for the 73rd Venice International Film Festival together with British director and producer Sam Mendes ( president), actress Gemma Arterton and Italian writer Giancarlo De Cataldo, the festival’s official website announced Sunday. The festival will be held from August 31 to September 10.

The only jury member on the panel from Asia this year, Zhao is also the fifth actress from China to be selected by the Venice International Film Festival after Maggie Cheung, Gong Li, Hsu Feng and Joan Chen.

Rising to fame in the late 1990s with TV drama Huanzhu Gege ( My Fair Princess), still one of the most popular Chinese TV dramas in Southeast Asia, she made her directorial debut with romance film So Young in 2013. Grossing a total box office of 719 million yuan ($ 107 million) on the mainland, So Young was the third highest earning film of that year in China.

One of China’s most popular actresses for years, Zhao recently came under fire for casting Taiwan actor Leon Dai in her second directorial work Meiyou Biede Ai ( No Other Love). Dai angered mainland netizens with what many saw as separatist leanings in previous statements. Netizens called for a boycott of the film, which led to Dai being replaced.

This is not the first time Zhao has come under fire, as she was previously criticized for wearing a dress with the Japanese military flag printed on it for a magazine cover shoot.