Cannes (France), Feb. 26 (LaPresse) – Internationally acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, South Korean director, screenwriter, and producer Park Chan-wook will preside over the feature film jury at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. This marks a first for Korean cinema. On Saturday, May 23, on the stage of the Grand Théâtre Lumière, Park Chan-wook and his jury will award the 2026 Palme d’Or, succeeding last year’s winner, presented by Juliette Binoche to Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident.
"The inventiveness, visual mastery, and Park Chan-wook’s ability to capture the multiple impulses of men and women with unique destinies have given contemporary cinema truly memorable moments," said Festival President Iris Knobloch and Director Thierry Frémaux. "We are delighted to celebrate his immense talent and, more broadly, the cinema of a country deeply committed to questioning our times," they added.
For Park Chan-wook, it all began at Cannes with Oldboy, which won the Grand Prix in 2004. Since then, almost all of his films selected in competition have earned awards: Thirst (Jury Prize 2009), The Handmaiden (2016), and Decision to Leave (Best Director 2022), with many films featuring extraordinary heroines.
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