Park Chan-wook Named 2026 Cannes Jury President
As the jury’s first-ever Korean head, director Park will lead the selection of this year’s Palme d’Or — the highest honor in international cinema.
Summary
- Renowned director Park Chan-wook has been named Cannes’ first-ever South Korean Jury President. The Oldboy creator will lead the jury in selecting the 2026 Palme d’Or winner on May 23.
- This historic appointment highlights South Korea’s surging global cinematic influence, celebrating Park’s visual mastery and inventive storytelling alongside contemporaries like Bong Joon Ho.
The annual Cannes film festival has announced that South Korean director, screenwriter, and producer Park Chan-wook will be this year’s Cannes Jury President. Previously held by notable names like Spike Lee, Greta Gerwig, Cate Blanchett, and Pedro Almodovar, he will be Cannes’ first-ever Jury President of Korean descent.
In his new role, Hypbeast’s January ‘26 digital cover star will lead the selection of this year’s Palme d’Or, widely regarded as the highest honor in international cinema. While the No Other Choice (2025) director is not a Palme d’Or winner himself, he has been honored with other notable Cannes awards over the years: the Grand Prix for Oldboy (2004), the Jury Prize for Thirst (2009), and Best Director for Decision to Leave (2022).
In an official statement, Festival President Iris Knobloch and Director Thierry Frémaux said, “Park Chan-wook’s inventiveness, visual mastery, and penchant for capturing the multiple impulses of women and men with strange destinies have given contemporary cinema some truly memorable moments.” “We are delighted to celebrate his immense talent and, more broadly, the cinema of a country deeply engaged with the questioning of our time,” she continued.
The news reflects the growing influence of South Korea in international pop culture and the arts. K-film has slowly but surely staked its claim on global cinema over the last two decades, a development Park Chan-Wook has been largely responsible for fueling, alongside contemporaries like Bong Joon Ho, who won Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture for Parasite at the 2020 Oscars.
Park Chan-wook and the international jury will select the 2026 Palme d’Or on Saturday, May 23, at the Grand Théâtre Lumière.
