Park Chan-wook to head Cannes jury

Cannes just gave one of its most visible jobs to Park Chan-wook — the filmmaker behind *Oldboy*, *Decision to Leave* and *The Handmaiden*. That matters because the jury president does not just show up for photos. He leads the panel that picks the Palme d’Or, which still functions as one of cinema’s biggest status markers. This year’s move also carries a first — Park is the first Korean artist ever to chair Cannes’ main competition jury. ### What exactly did Cannes announce? The festival first named Park Chan-wook as jury president in March, then filled out the rest of the nine-person panel on May 4. He will head the Feature Films jury at the 79th Festival de Cannes, which runs from May 12 to May 23, 2026, with the Palme d’Or awarded on the closing night at the Grand Théâtre Lumière. (festival-cannes.com) ### Why is this such a big seat? At Cannes, the jury president is part referee, part symbol. That person helps shape the discussion around the competition titles and becomes the public face of the prize process for the whole festival. The role has extra weight because Cannes is still the place where art-house prestige, awards momentum and international sales all collide in one room. Park is not just another famous guest — he is the person guiding the final conversation. (festival-cannes.com) ### Why Park Chan-wook? Park makes perfect Cannes sense. He has been tied to the festival for years — *Oldboy* won the Grand Prix there in 2004, *Thirst* won the Jury Prize in 2009, and *Decision to Leave* earned him Best Director in 2022. Cannes likes jury presidents who embody both auteur credibility and global reach, and Park checks both boxes. He is a critic’s filmmaker, but also one whose movies travel far beyond festival circles. (festival-cannes.com) ### Why does the “first Korean” part matter? Because it says something about where Korean cinema now sits in the global hierarchy. South Korean filmmakers have been central to world cinema for years, but the symbolic top jobs at legacy festivals still matter. Cannes explicitly framed Park’s appointment as a first for Korean cinema, which turns the pick into more than a personal honor — it is also institutional recognition. (festival-cannes.com) ### Who’s on the jury with him? The panel is deliberately mixed across countries and film jobs. Joining Park are Demi Moore, Ruth Negga, Laura Wandel, Chloé Zhao, Diego Céspedes, Isaach De Bankolé, Paul Laverty and Stellan Skarsgård. Basically, Cannes built a jury with actors, directors and a screenwriter — people likely to argue from very different instincts about performance, structure and risk. (festival-cannes.com) ### What will they be judging? The main competition slate stands at 22 films in the official 2026 selection. Cannes unveiled the lineup on April 9 and has framed the competition as the center of this year’s edition, alongside the usual sidebars like Un Certain Regard and Cannes Premiere. The jury’s job is to decide which of those 22 titles leaves with the Palme, plus the other major competition prizes. (festival-cannes.com) ### So what’s the bottom line? This is a ceremonial appointment, but not just a ceremonial appointment. Park Chan-wook now sits at the exact point where taste becomes canon at Cannes. And because he is the first Korean jury president, the choice lands as both a festival decision and a marker of how far Korean cinema has moved into the center of the global film conversation. (festival-cannes.com 1) (festival-cannes.com 2)