Park Chan-wook heads Cannes jury

South Korean director Park Chan-wook is leading the 2026 Cannes Film Festival jury, putting one of contemporary cinema’s most decorated filmmakers at the center of the Palme d’Or decision. Reuters reported on May 12 that Park would head the panel of nine jurors at the 79th edition of the festival in Cannes, France. The festival’s official selection page lists 22 films in competition this year, including new work from Pedro Almodóvar, James Gray, Asghar Farhadi and Ryusuke Hamaguchi. Vanity Fair’s live coverage reported that Barbra Streisand will miss the closing ceremony because of a knee injury, though the festival continues through May 23. ### Who is Park Chan-wook presiding over in Cannes? Reuters said on May 12 that Park will lead eight other jurors in choosing the festival’s top prize. Cineuropa reported that the full jury includes Demi Moore, Ruth Negga, Laura Wandel, Chloé Zhao, Diego Céspedes, Isaach De Bankolé, Paul Laverty and Stellan Skarsgård. The Cannes jury’s role is to watch the films in competition and decide the Palme d’Or and other main prizes announced at the closing ceremony. (yahoo.com) ### Which films are actually in the Palme d’Or lineup? The Festival de Cannes selection page lists 22 competition titles. Among the highest-profile entries are Almodóvar’s “Amarga Navidad,” Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” Farhadi’s “Parallel Tales,” and Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden.” The same official listing also includes films by Kore-eda Hirokazu, Cristian Mungiu, László Nemes, Ira Sachs and Pawel Pawlikowski, underscoring how heavily this year’s field leans on established festival directors. (yahoo.com) ### Why does Park’s appointment carry weight at this festival? Park arrived at Cannes with a long history at the festival. Reuters, in a May 12 profile distributed via Yahoo, described him as a filmmaker known for titles including “Oldboy” and “Decision to Leave.” A Reuters photograph report carried by other outlets also showed Park receiving France’s Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in Cannes on May 17, another marker of his standing in French film culture during this year’s event. (festival-cannes.com) ### What is happening with Barbra Streisand at the close of the festival? Vanity Fair’s live blog said Streisand will not attend the closing ceremony because of a knee injury. Additional coverage published on May 19 said she was expected to miss the event where she is being honored, with the recognition still proceeding in absentia. The development affects the celebrity side of the ceremony rather than the competition jury’s work. (yahoo.com) ### When does the jury make its decision? The 79th Cannes Film Festival runs from May 12 to May 23, according to festival coverage and event listings. That means Park and the other jurors are now moving through screenings before the closing ceremony, where the Palme d’Or winner will be announced. The official Cannes selection pages remain the clearest running source for the competition slate as the festival heads into its final days. (vanityfair.com) (in.mashable.com)