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Kerry Fox and Mark Herbert join Sydney Film Fest Jury

New Zealand actor Kerry Fox (The Last Days of Chez Nous, Bright Star and Cloudstreet) and British producer and CEO of Warp Films, Mark Herbert (This Is England, Four Lions) have been added to Sydney Film Festival’s Official Competition jury.

They join jury President Chen Kaige, Director of Farewell My Concubine, The Emperor and the Assassin and Together. Kaige’s latest, Sacrifice, will also have its Australian premiere at the festival.

In a press release issued by Sydney Film Festival, Fox said, “I am thrilled to be taking part in this year’s SFF Jury. It was at this festival that I first saw An Angel at My Table screened, and what a wonderful response we received from the festival’s film literate and loving buffs. I feel privileged to be able to offer something in return while getting the chance to see courageous films.”

Fox last year attended the festival to celebrate the restoration of Gillian Armstrong’s The Last Days of Chez Nous while in the country shooting Cloudstreet.

Herbert has produced Shane Meadows’ new TV series This Is England ’86, which will have its Australian Premiere at SFF’s TV Marathons program. He is also Executive Producer on Paddy Considine’s Sundance-winning directorial debut Tyrannosaur, and Ben Wheatley’s Kill List, both making their Australian premieres at SFF’s Push Me to the Edge and Freak Me Out programs respectively.

Herbert, from Cannes said, “Warp has had great success with launching films at Sydney but due to filming commitments I’ve never been able to be there in June. So this year I made sure we were wrapped in time to go and it was music to my ears when I was asked to be on the jury. I’m looking forward to seeing examples of bold and innovative filmmaking which is what Sydney Film Festival is famous for.”

Herbert also launched Australian arm of the production company, Warp Australia with Anna McLiesh. Snowtown is their debut production.

The jury, whose final two members will be announced closer to the festival opening, will award Australia’s largest cash prize for film, $60,000 to one of the twelve films in contention.

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