Zhao, who was born in China but lives and works in the United States, collected Venice's top prize last year, when "Nomadland" took home a Golden Lion for best film before going on to win a slew of awards at the Oscars this year, including best director and best picture.
Venice's six-person jury also includes directors Saverio Costanzo from Italy and Romania's Alexander Nanau, British actress and singer Cynthia Erivo, Belgian-French actress Virginie Efira and Canadian actress Sarah Gadon. The Venice Film Festival is the world's oldest and among the most prestigious, rivalling Cannes and Berlin.—AFP