Director George Miller to preside over Cannes Film Festival jury

Australian filmmaker George Miller has been named as the president of the jury for the 69th Cannes Film Festival.

The prestigious role comes after the director screened his latest blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road to critical acclaim at the competition last year.

The 70-year-old's film is currently nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including best director and best picture.

"What an unmitigated delight!" Miller said of the invitation to head the jury.

"To be there in the middle of this storied festival at the unveiling of cinematic treasures from all over the planet," he said in a statement.

"To spend time in passionate discourse with fellow members of the jury. Such an honour. I'll be there with bells on!"

Miller is the latest English-language director to preside over the jury, following Joel and Ethan Cohen, Jane Campion and Steven Spielberg.

He has served on two previous Cannes competition juries, in 1998 and 1999.

"His nomination makes a no-holds-barred celebration of genre cinema," an official Festival de Cannes statement said on Tuesday.

"But above all, the 2016 Festival de Cannes is all set to welcome a big-hearted film lover and a great human being," it said.

This year's festival will take place from May 11 to 22.