People News Roundup: Director Spike Lee to head 2020 Cannes Film Festival jury

Director Spike Lee to head 2020 Cannes Film Festival jury

U.S. director Spike Lee has been named president of the jury for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, organizers said on Tuesday The 62-year-old filmmaker, who succeeds Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, will head the panel that will award the 73rd Palme d'Or prize.

Billionaire Maezawa tops Japan's most followed Twitter rankings

Fashion billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has became Japan's most followed Twitter account, the social network said, boosted by a $9 million giveaway to his followers. Maezawa's 7.2 million followers puts his account narrowly ahead of acid-tongued comedian Hiroiki Ariyoshi, who has 7.19 million followers.

'Parasite' director Bong says 'language barrier' broken after Oscar nod

"Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho said he was surprised and overjoyed when the film won six Oscar nominations on Monday, a historic first for South Korea's film industry and a sign that language is no longer a barrier to global success. "Parasite," a dark comedy about the vast gap between the rich and poor in South Korea, snagged a coveted best picture nomination, best director for Bong, and best screenplay in addition to its best international feature nomination.

Jay-Z sues Mississippi prison officials over unfair conditions: NBC News

Rapper Jay-Z on Tuesday sued two Mississippi prison officials on behalf of 29 inmates who say authorities did nothing to stop violence that has killed five prisoners in the last two weeks, NBC News reported. The lawsuit, filed by Jay-Z's lawyer Alex Spiro in the U.S. District Court in Greenville, Mississippi, says "these deaths are a direct result of Mississippi's utter disregard for the people it has incarcerated and their constitutional rights," according to the report.