South Korean director Park Chan-wook has been named jury president of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival.
The acclaimed filmmaker, known for directing “Oldboy,” “The Handmaiden,” and “Decision to Leave,” will lead the international jury tasked with selecting this year’s Palme d’Or winner.
“His presence at the Palais des Festivals testifies to the mutual loyalty that exists between Park Chan-wook and the Festival de Cannes,” the festival said in a statement. “He is often compared to film-makers such as Tarantino, De Palma, and Fincher for artistry in composing images whose formal beauty is matched only by their moral rigor. He also cites Kurosawa, Bergman, Visconti, and Hitchcock as models.”
The 2026 Cannes Film Festival will run from May 12 to May 23. With this appointment, Park becomes the first Korean filmmaker to serve as president of the Cannes jury. I’ll have more on this story in the coming hours.