At the closing press conference of the 79th Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2026, jury president Park Chan-wook, a longtime Cannes favorite who has never won the Palme d'Or, made a self-deprecating joke about coveting the top prize. He quipped that he struggled with the decision to award the Palme to another director, as he himself has never received the honor.
Park, the South Korean director known for films like 'Oldboy' and 'The Handmaiden,' also took the opportunity to promote his latest movie, 'The Ax,' which is set to premiere later this year. The film, a thriller about a man who loses his job and turns to violence, stars Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin.
The 79th Cannes Film Festival ran from May 12 to May 23, 2026. The Palme d'Or was awarded to 'The Unknown' by French director Claire Denis, a drama about a woman searching for her missing husband in a dystopian future.
