The 77th Cannes International Film Festival Opens Today (14th)
Jury President: Greta Gerwig, Director Born in the 1980s
22 Films Compete in the Main Competition... No Korean Films Entered
CJ ENM Invites 2 Non-Competitive Films Including Veteran 2
Exterior view of the Lumi?re Theater, venue of the 77th Cannes Film Festival[Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]
The Cannes International Film Festival, the world's most prestigious film festival, opens on the 14th (local time) in the southern French city of Cannes. Marking its 77th edition this year, the Cannes Film Festival will run for 12 days from the opening ceremony on this day until the 25th. The opening film is "The Second Act," directed by French director Quentin Dupieux.
The Cannes Film Festival has initiated a generational shift by appointing a jury president born in the 1980s. Greta Gerwig, director of the film "Barbie" (2023), will serve as the jury president for the official competition section, while director Xavier Dolan will chair the jury for the Un Certain Regard section. The festival will award the highest honor, the Palme d'Or, as well as the Best Director, Grand Prix, Jury Prize, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor and Actress awards. Korean films did not make it into the competition section this year.
22 Films Compete for the Palme d'Or
Twenty-two films have been nominated in the competition section vying for the Palme d'Or. The "master" Francis Ford Coppola, who won the Palme d'Or twice in the 1970s, presents his new sci-fi film "Megalopolis," his first in 10 years since "Twixt" (2011). Iranian director Ali Abbasi unveils "Apprentice," a film depicting former U.S. President Donald Trump's real estate businessman days in the 1980s. "The Kindness of Kindness," a reunion project between director Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, is also attracting attention. Jia Zhangke, a leading Chinese youth director, enters the competition for the sixth time with "A Court by the Tides."
Other films invited to the competition section include Jacques Audiard's "Emilia Perez," Kirill Serebrennikov's "Limonov - The Ballad," Andrea Arnold's "Bird," and Sean Baker's "Anora."
The Honorary Palme d'Or, a lifetime achievement award, will be jointly awarded to Hollywood director George Lucas, creator of the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" series, Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli, and American actress Meryl Streep.
Korean Films Fail to Enter Competition for Second Consecutive Year... Ryu Seung-wan and Hwang Jung-min on the Red Carpet
Korean films failed to enter the competition section for the second consecutive year following last year, but two feature films were invited to the non-competition sections.
CJ ENM's film "Veteran 2" (directed by Ryu Seung-wan) was invited to the Midnight Screening section, which showcases commercial genre films, and will be screened at the Lumi?re Theater on the 21st. Director Ryu and actors Hwang Jung-min and Jung Hae-in will attend the red carpet and premiere. Although director Ryu was invited to the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes with the film "Crying Fist" (2005), this is his first time entering the official section. Hwang Jung-min is attending Cannes for the fourth time, following his special appearance in "A Bittersweet Life" (2005, non-competition), leading roles in "The Wailing" (2016, non-competition), and "The Spy Gone North" (2018, Midnight Screening).
Kim Ryang's documentary "Film Youth, Dong-ho," depicting the life of former Busan International Film Festival executive director Kim Dong-ho, was invited to the Cannes Classics section. A screening is scheduled for the 16th. Kim Dong-ho attended the Cannes Film Festival 24 times since 1996 and served as a jury member for the Un Certain Regard section in 2010.
Additionally, the short film "Echo," directed by Lim Yu-ri, a student in the Film Department at Korea National University of Arts (K-ARTS), will be showcased in "La Cinef," a section screening student films. The VR documentary "Missing Pictures: Kawase Naomi," a Japanese director's work produced by Korea, was invited to the newly established "Immersive" section at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
Korean films have not entered the competition section for two years since Park Chan-wook's "Decision to Leave" (2022). Although there were no competition entries last year, seven films including Song Kang-ho's "Cobweb" (directed by Kim Ji-woon), Lee Sun-kyun's "Escape" (directed by Kim Tae-gon), "Sleep" (directed by Yoo Jae-sun), and Song Joong-ki's "Hwaran" (directed by Kim Chang-hoon) were showcased at Cannes. This year, only two feature films are invited.
Exterior view of the Lumi?re Theater where the Cannes Film Festival is held[Photo by Reuters·Yonhap News]
Meanwhile, at the Film Market held from the 15th to the 20th of this month, producers of films with over 10 million viewers and five Korean producers?Lee Dong-ha ("Train to Busan"), Kim Young ("The Man Who Paints Drops"), Shin Su-won ("Madonna"), Yoon Hee-young ("I Hate Korea"), and Oh Eun-young ("It Has Become Night")?will participate in the "Producer Network" program. This event, now in its 16th year, will host over 400 producers from around the world. The Korean Film Council has become an official partner for the first time this year.
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