Oliver Stone (Oliver Stone’s website)

Award-winning American filmmaker Oliver Stone will head the jury for the Busan International Film Festival’s New Currents competition category this year, BIFF announced Monday.

Stone, who is also a screenwriter and producer, has clinched several awards since he won his first Oscar for “Midnight Express” in 1978.

In 1986, his war drama “Platoon” earned him prizes at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and the Berlin International Festival. He also won awards at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes for “Born on the Fourth of July” in 1989.

Many of Stone’s films, such as “Salvador” (1986), “W” (2008) and his latest work “Snowden” (2016), look at modern history with critical insight, which has led to the filmmaker becoming one of the most influential figures in the industry.

The four other jurors at BIFF are Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi, French cinematographer Agnes Godard, Filipino director Lav Diaz and Korean director Jang Sun-woo. The New Currents Awards presents two prizes to first or second feature films by emerging Asian directors.

The 22nd BIFF will run from Oct. 12 to 21 in the southeastern port city of Busan.

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)