Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme will chair the official jury at this year's San Sebastian film festival.

Demmeis known for films includingThe Silence Of The Lambs, Philadelphia, The Manchurian Candidate, Stop Making Sense and Neil Young: Heart Of Gold. He will also be presenting a 'work in progress' version of his documentary Neil Young Trunk Show: Scenes From A Concert at San Sebastian.

His latest feature Rachel Getting Married, which will be shown in a special presentation at the festival, is a 'drama with an aggressive sense of humour' about a young woman who has been in and out of rehab for ten years before deciding to return to her family home for her sister's wedding. The film stars Anne Hathaway, Debra Winger and Rosemarie DeWitt.

Demme will oversee an impressive line-up at this year's festival, with titles already announced in official selection from respected directors such as Michael Winterbottom, Christophe Honore, Kim Ki-Duk and Daniel Burman.

Demme is currently in pre-production on a Bob Marley documentary scheduled for release in February 2010.