Park Chan-wook appointed to Cannes jury

The international festival said Tuesday that Park was included on the festival jury to decide its top prize this year, along with other big names including Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, Italian director Paolo Sorrentino and US actor Will Smith. 

Park has become the fourth Korean to sit on the festival’s jury. Shin Sang-ok was the first-ever in 1994, followed by director Lee Chang-dong in 2009 and actress Jeon Do-yeon in 2014. 

Park previously won the grand prix for revenge-thriller “Oldboy” in 2004, and the jury prize for vampire horror-thriller “Thirst” in 2009. His most recent work “The Handmaiden” entered the festival’s main competition category last year, but failed to fetch an award.

“Park’s diverse body of work has garnered recognition both at home and abroad,” said the organizers of the Cannes festival on its website. “His latest film went on to receive an enthusiastic response from critics and audiences world over, once again establishing him as one of the most significant talents working in cinema today.”

Two Korean films, Hong Sang-soo’s “The Day After” and Bong Joon-ho’s “Okja” will compete in this year’s international film festival. Other Korean films including “Claire’s Camera,” also directed by Hong, and Jung Byung-gil’s “The Villainess” will also premiere for the festival’s midnight screenings. 

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar will preside over the jury. The festival takes place from May 17 to 28.

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)