M. Night Shyamalan on Berlin Film Festival Jury President Role: ‘I’m Going to See Something That’s Going to Change Me’

variety.com:

Shalini Dore Features News EditorMultihyphenate M. Night Shyamalan is eager to get started on his role as the Berlin Film Festival’s competition jury president.“Part of going to film festivals and seeing these movies is I’m with the very best storytellers that are telling the most different and original stories in their own way,” Shyamalan said. “I’m sure 18 times I’m going to be re-inspired about being OK with what’s weird and different about myself.”Being invited to the festival was a pleasant surprise, said Shyamalan, who has visited Germany several times while promoting his films.“I spent so much time there, I found the respect for art very, very high.

I feel very engaged in the conversations there about art and cinema. There is a deep respect there for those that push the boundaries in the medium so I feel very at-home there.

So when they so graciously asked me, I was exuberant. It’s a place that I look forward to going and feel replenished when I go there.” Like the global film community, he was watching to see whether the fest would be in-person or virtual (the festival is in-person, while the concurrent European Film Market is virtual), but whatever the decision was he “had faith it would be the right one.

Everyone’s making decisions about schools, jobs, movies. I am obviously very happy that it [festival] is continuing … I’m always optimistic about these things.