HONG KONG — French film maker Luc Besson will head the jury of the Tiantan Awards at the upcoming Beijing International Film Festival.

Now in its fifth edition the festival will run from April 16 to 23 in the Chinese capital.

Besson and his jury will select prize winners in ten categories.

In choosing Besson to head the jury the BJIFF said that his work as director, screenwriter and producer had demonstrated that “entertaining blockbusters are not exclusive to Hollywood…. [and that he] has become an example of a global filmmaker … we cannot praise enough.”

Besson’s last film “Lucy” scored $44.8 million at the Chinese box office.

He was previously head of the competition jury at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2006.