Cannes Film Festival kicks off, three Korean films to be screened

The crime action film ″I, the Executioner,″ sequel to the Korean box office hit ″Veteran″ (2015), will be released for the first time in the Midnight Screenings section. [FESTIVAL DE CANNES]
The 77th Cannes Film Festival kicks off on Tuesday with three Korean films invited to this year's event, two screened out of competition and one by a film student.

Director Ryoo Seung-wan's "I, the Executioner" and Kim Lyang's documentary "Walking in the Movies" will be screened out of competition, while director Lim Yoo-ri's "Forest of Echoes" was invited to the La Cinef section, which presents works produced by film school students from around the world.

It will be the world premiere for "I, the Executioner," a sequel to “Veteran” (2015). The Midnight Screenings section, where the film will be shown, screens a small number of works that have both artistic merit and popularity among genre films, including action, fantasy, horror, noir and thriller.

This will be the fourth time for lead actor Hwang Jung-min, who plays the violent crime investigation detective Seo Do-chul in the film, to be invited to Cannes after starring in "A Bittersweet Life" (2005), "The Wailing" (2016) and "The Spy Gone North" (2018).

For co-lead actor Jung Hae-in, who plays the young detective Park Sun-woo, this will be his first-ever appearance at Cannes.

Director Kim Lyang's ″Walking in the Movies″ sheds light on the career of Kim Dong-ho, the former executive chairman of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). [FESTIVAL DE CANNES]
Director Kim's "Walking in the Movies," which will be screened on May 16, sheds light on the life of Kim Dong-ho, the former executive chairman of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). The film was invited to the Cannes Classics section for the Documentaries about Cinema screening, which introduces documentaries on major figures in film history.

The former chairman was invited to the Berlin International Film Festival as the director of the short film "Jury" (2012), but this is the first time he has been invited for appearing as a lead character in a film.

Director Lim’s "Forest of Echoes" is a historical fiction, fantasy film. The film deals with the legend of a Korean goblin, dokkaebi, and the secrets of women who suffered from the Korean patriarchy. Lim conveys this social commentary through depictions of various rituals, clothing and dances in traditional Korean culture.

Director Lim Yoo-ri's ″Forest of Echoes″ was the only film out of the three Korean films that will compete for an award this year. [FESTIVAL DE CANNES]
"Forest of Echoes" is the only Korean film to compete for an award this year at the Cannes.

This year's Cannes Film Festival kicks off its 12-day run on Tuesday, starting with the screening of the French comedy film "The Second Act" by director Quentin Dupieux at the Lumière Grand Theater in Cannes, France.

The official competition section for the Palme d'Or award this year is noted for the return of film industry giants. No Korean films were invited for the category this year.

Francis Ford Coppola, known for the classic “Godfather” trilogy, will return in over a decade with the new science fiction film ″Megalopolis.” [FESTIVAL DE CANNES]
Francis Ford Coppola, known for the classic “Godfather” trilogy (1972-90), will return for the first time in over a decade with the new science fiction film "Megalopolis.” Jia Zhangke, a Chinese director, will go to Cannes for the sixth time for his film "Caught by the Tides," which was produced over a period of more than 20 years.

Director Ali Abbasi entered the competition with "The Apprentice," a film about former U.S. President Donald Trump's days as a real estate entrepreneur in the 1970s and 1980s. Abbasi achieved global stardom with his crime thriller film “Holy Spider” back in 2022, a film that criticized Iran's society and politics.

A panel of nine judges led by director Greta Gerwig, famed for the 2023 hit film "Barbie," will evaluate feature films and hand out the following awards: Palme d'Or, Prix de Jury, Prix de la Mise en Scène, Prix du Scénario, Prix d'Interprétation Masculine and Prix d'Interprétation Féminine.

Last year's Palme d’Or went to French legal drama, “Anatomy of a Fall” (2023), by director Justine Triet.

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