[Focus] 76th Cannes Film Festival, No Korean Competition Entries but a Special Reason

76th Cannes Film Festival Opening Ceremony on the 16th
Goreeda, Ken Loach, and Others Shine in Competition
7 Korean Films Featured... Emerging Directors on the Rise

Exterior view of the Lumi?re Theater where the 76th Cannes Film Festival is being held
[Photo by AP·Yonhap News]

The southern French city of Cannes is once again immersed in cinema. It boasts an all-time great competition lineup. Renowned masters are expected to gather in Cannes with their new works. Although Korean films did not make it into the competition, seven films will be showcased. The consecutive invitations of emerging domestic directors add further significance.

The 76th Cannes Film Festival will open on the 16th (local time) at 7 p.m. at the Lumi?re Theater in Cannes, France, embarking on a 12-day journey.

The opening film is the French movie "Jeanne du Barry" by actor-director Ma?wenn. The film depicts the turbulent story of King Louis XV of France and his lover Jeanne du Barry, with Johnny Depp playing the role of Louis XV. This marks Depp’s return after three years following his legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard.

The closing film is the Disney·Pixar animated movie "Elemental" (directed by Peter Sohn), which will meet audiences.

A Festival of Film Stars... Competition Section Heats Up

Director Hirokazu Koreeda Photo by AFP·Yonhap News

This year, 21 films have been invited to compete for the Palme d'Or in the competition section.

Five new works by past Palme d'Or-winning directors are included. These include "Monster" by Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, "A Brighter Tomorrow" by Italian director Nanni Moretti, "Perfect Days" by German director Wim Wenders, "About Dry Grass" by Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and "The Old Oak" by Ken Loach. American director Wes Anderson is invited with "Asteroid City," and Chinese director Wang Bing is also competing.

Additionally, Martin Scorsese’s new film "Killers of the Flower Moon" and the sequel "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," returning after 15 years, are attracting attention.

The jury president is Ruben ?stlund, who won the Palme d'Or twice, for "The Square" (2017) and last year’s "Triangle of Sadness."

Jury members include French director Julia Ducournau, who won the Palme d'Or for "Titane" (2021), American actors Brie Larson and Paul Dano, French actor Denis M?nochet, Argentine director and screenwriter Damian Szifron, and Moroccan-born actor-director Mariam Touzani.

Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Ju Ji-hoon, Song Joong-ki and Others Head to Cannes

(Above) Director Kim Ji-woon (left), Song Kang-ho [Photo by AP·Yonhap News, Warner Bros. Korea]
(Below) Lee Sun-kyun (left), Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Hee-won [Photo by Lotte Entertainment, H& Entertainment, NEW]

Seven Korean films have received invitations. Although none entered the competition section, the recent dominance of Korean films in major Cannes categories such as the Palme d'Or and Best Director reduces the disappointment. The fact that emerging directors are called to Cannes, the world’s most prestigious film stage, is remarkable. It is refreshing news for the film industry, which urgently needs a second Park Chan-wook or Bong Joon-ho.

"Cobweb," directed by Kim Ji-woon and starring Song Kang-ho, who won Best Actor last year for "Broker," will be featured in the non-competition section.

Director Kim and actor Song Kang-ho head to Cannes together for the first time in 15 years since "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" (2008). They have collaborated five times including "Quiet Family" (1998), "The Foul King" (2000), "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" (2008), "The Age of Shadows" (2016), and now "Cobweb."

Song Kang-ho’s eighth invitation to Cannes breaks the record for the most invitations for a Korean actor, following "The Host" (2006), "Miryang" (2007), "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" (2008), "Thirst" (2009), "Parasite" (2019), "Emergency Declaration" (2021), and "Broker" (2022).

The film "Escape: PROJECT SILENCE" (hereafter "Escape") was invited to the Midnight Screening section. It stars Lee Sun-kyun, Ju Ji-hoon, and Kim Hee-won. Directed by Kim Tae-gon, who directed "Goodbye Single" (2016), and produced by Kim Yong-hwa.

The film tells the story of people trapped on an airport bridge on the verge of collapse in thick fog where nothing can be seen ahead, fighting for survival against unexpected consecutive disasters.

Director Kim Chang-hoon’s feature debut "Hwaran" was selected for the "Un Certain Regard" section, which discovers talented young directors and introduces works with originality and aesthetic excellence. Kim was also nominated for the Cam?ra d'Or, awarded to the most promising first-time director of the year.

The film is a noir drama about a boy named Yeon-gyu who wants to escape a hellish reality and meets the organization’s middle boss Chigeon, entering a precarious world together. It stars Song Joong-ki, Hong Sa-bin, and Kim Hyung-seo.

'Hwalan' stills [Photo by Plus M Entertainment]

Still from 'Jam'
[Photo by Lotte Entertainment]

The film "Sleep," starring Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi, was invited to the Critics' Week, a section focused on discovering new talent. Lee Sun-kyun, lead actor of the Palme d'Or-winning "Parasite" (2019), returns to Cannes after four years.

"Sleep" depicts the story of a happy newlywed couple, Hyun-soo and Su-jin, who are plagued by Hyun-soo’s abnormal behavior during sleep and their desperate efforts to unravel the terrifying secret that begins the moment he falls asleep. Director Yoo Jae-sun was also nominated for the Cam?ra d'Or.

Director Hong Sang-soo and actress Kim Min-hee were also invited to Cannes. Hong’s 30th new film "Our Day" was selected as the closing film of the Directors' Fortnight.

The director has been invited to Cannes 12 times, including for "The Power of Kangwon Province" (1988), "O! Lucky Day" (2000), "Woman Is the Future of Man" (2004), "Tale of Cinema" (2005), "Like You Know It All" (2008), "Hahaha" (2010), "In Another Country" (2012), "Claire’s Camera" (2017), "The Day After" (2017), and "In Front of Your Face" (2021).

Two short films were invited to the La Cinef section, which features works by film school students: "The Lee Family Brothers" directed by Seo Jeong-mi and "Hole" directed by Hwang Hye-in. This section awards first to third prizes among 16 films.

Additionally, although not a Korean work, Blackpink’s Jennie will attend Cannes with actors Lily-Rose Depp, Troye Sivan, Dan Levy, and others for the non-competition film "The Idol."

Most of the major actors and directors appearing in this year’s invited works will walk the Cannes red carpet.