Jurors

    THE Venice Film Festival has announced its main jury will be headed by British director Sam Mendes as Chinese actress and director Zhao Wei will join the jurors.

    Zhao has become the fifth Chinese actress to serve as Venice juror after Maggie Cheung, Gong Li, Hsu Feng, and Joan Chen. She is also the only Asian face of this year’s Venice film festival. Her last film “Dearest” was screened in Venice two years ago. Other announced jurors included American director Laurie Anderson, British actress Gemma Arterton, American director Joshua Oppenheimer, Italian screen writer Giancarlo De Cataldo, German actress Nina Hoss, French actress Chiara Mastroianni and Venezuelan director Lorenzo Vigas.

    100 million likes

    VIN DIESEL has hit 100 million likes on Facebook, the first actor to do so. Diesel is the third person to achieve the major milestone, following Shakira and Christiano Ronaldo.

    According to statistics, the milestone was achieved with major pushes from the United States, Brazil, and Mexico — the top three countries Diesel fans come from. The 49-year-old actor’s most shared post was a tribute to his fallen co-star and friend, Paul Walker, with 7.7 million likes.

    Interview drama

    “BLOODSPORT” star Jean Claude Van Damme wants to be asked more “interesting” questions during interviews. The actor appeared via satellite on the Australian morning show “Sunrise” on Thursday, but his interview didn’t go as planned as Van Damme, 55, ultimately stormed off after he accused the hosts of asking the same questions.

    “Sorry guys I cannot do this anymore,” he said. “The press, they have been asking me the same questions for the last 25 years. Kylie [Minogue], how’s your training? How’s your this? How’s your that? They are boring.” Afterwards, Van Damme — who recently admitted to having a relationship with Kylie Minogue in the 1990s — left the set, ripping off his microphone as he said that he needed to use the restroom. Van Damme was doing interviews in preparation for a speaking tour he has in the country next month.

    (SD-Agencies)