The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will have actress Zhang Ziyi on the jury panel for Platform, a program that champions directors from around the world.

Zhang Ziyi arrives for the opening ceremony of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 8, 2016. [VCG]

For the program's second year, its three-person international jury will be composed of legendary directors Brian De Palma, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun and acclaimed actor Zhang Ziyi. Together, they will award a prize of CAD $25,000 to the best Platform selection, to be announced at the Festival Awards Ceremony on Sept. 18.

"We are honoured to have De Palma, Haroun and Zhang on the Platform Jury for the program's second year. Each one of them brings a breadth of expertise and experience in visionary filmmaking, artistic direction and unprecedented, bold narratives," said Piers Handling, director and CEO of TIFF.

"Platform's vision is championing aesthetic magnificence, and De Palma, Zhang and Haroun have all either created or been a part of films that have inspired, revolutionized and transformed the filmmaking industry," said Cameron Bailey, artistic director of the festival.

Inspired by Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke's film of the same name, Platform shines the spotlight on 12 films of high artistic merit that demonstrate a strong directorial vision. The lineup was announced on Aug. 11 and includes "Daguerrotype," "Goldstone," "Jackie," "Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait" and eight other films.

Zhang is an international superstar who brought strong, multi-dimensional female characters to the screen. She first came to prominence in Ang Lee's Academy Award-winning "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000) and then mesmerized audiences in the martial arts films "Hero" (2002) and "House of Flying Daggers" (2004), directed by Zhang Yimou. She successfully crossed over into the North American film industry, starring in the film adaptation of "Memoirs of a Geisha" (2005). Zhang has demonstrated a wide range of talent in Wong Kar-Wai's "2046" (2005) and in the director's latest film, "The Grandmaster" (2013).

She will also be participating in the festival's "In Conversation With…" event on Sept. 15 at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

The 41st Toronto International Film Festival runs from Sept. 8 to 18.

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