Actress Tilda Swinton has been named as president of the international jury for the next edition of the Berlinale (February 5 - 15 2009) by festival director Dieter Kosslick.

'I'm pleased that the wonderful Tilda Swinton will be our Jury President in 2009,' Kosslick said. 'Her commanding screen presence has made an indelible impression in contemporary, innovative filmmaking.'

Tilda Swinton's film career has had close ties with the Berlinale over the years. Since her debut in Derek Jarman's Caravaggio, she has graced the screen in 14 films at the Berlinale, including the Competition films Julia (2008) by Eric Zonca, Thumbsucker (2005) by Mike Mills and Adaptation (2003) by Spike Jonze.