All articles tagged with #korean cinema
Park Chan-wook was named president of the jury for the 79th Cannes Film Festival (May 12–23, 2026), becoming the first Korean and the third Asian to hold the post. He has previously premiered four Cannes Competition titles including Oldboy and The Handmaiden, and is praised by festival officials for his inventiveness and mastery. The Official Selection for 2026 will be unveiled mid-April.
South Korea's entertainment industries, particularly cinema and K-pop, are facing significant challenges due to declining domestic revenues, changing consumer behaviors, and increased international competition, prompting government intervention and industry restructuring to sustain their global cultural influence.
The Great Flood starts as a typical apocalypse movie set in Seoul but shifts into a sci-fi narrative involving a secret UN lab and a virtual rabbit hole, exploring themes of human resilience and the future of entertainment, with a tone reminiscent of Nolan and Kaufman.
The New York Times ranked Bong Joon Ho's 'Parasite' as the best movie of the 21st century, highlighting its themes of social inequality and Bong's genre-blending style. The list also includes other notable films by Bong and Korean directors, showcasing the global influence of Korean cinema.
Park Chan-wook's film "Oldboy" celebrates its 20th anniversary with a rerelease in U.S. cinemas. The film, which won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, played a significant role in kickstarting the Korean Wave and raising global interest in Korean cinema. "Oldboy" had a lasting impact on a generation of Korean film professionals and influenced works like Netflix's "Squid Game." Despite its extreme violence, the film continues to captivate audiences with its intense storytelling and visceral experience. Park's early experiences during South Korea's pro-democracy uprising influenced his filmmaking, channeling feelings of rage and revenge into his work.