The Jeonju International Film Festival may have ended last week, but the world's biggest
showcase of new cinema has only just begun.
Wednesday marked the opening of the 67th Cannes Film Festival... as stars, filmmakers and
the biggest movers and shakers in world cinema descended on the Croisette in the South of
France.
Last year, not many Korean films were featured at the festival.
However, 2014 marks a return to form for the Far East filmmaking powerhouse.
While no films feature in the main competition line-up, three features as well as two short
films will be shown at Cannes this year.
Here to give us the lowdown on the best from Cannes this year is our in-house film critic
Pierce Conran.
So, definitely a very exciting time to be a movie fan - Cannes is without a doubt one
of the biggest annual events on the film calendar.
But, why all the rage?
Why are all eyes on this French Riviera city during this time every year?
Cannes is the world's most prestigious festival.
It may not be the oldest , but the caliber of talent and films it attracts
every year has no parallel.
In addition to the content, the fest's French seaside glamour is hard to beat.
Every year, a number of big films debut at Cannes.
What are some of this year's hottest tickets?
The main competition generally features a mix of new works from previously invited big
names and a few very promising or high profile new features.
The balance is titled more towards recognizable names this year.
Two-time Palme d-Or winners the Dardennes Brothers return with TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT,
Ken Loack is back with JIMMY'S HALL while Jean-Luc Godard
enters the fray with the sure to be controversial GOODBYE TO LANGUAGE.
Is there anything that strikes you as particularly interesting beyond these?
Since I'm not in France, it may be a while before I get a change to see it, but I must
admit that I'm very curious about actor Tommy Lee Jones' new film THE HOMESMAN.
His previous work THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA is a modern classic, and previously
earned him the Best Director award at Cannes.
So far you've mentioned titles from the main competition, but a lot more goes on at Cannes.
Can you explain the layout of the rest of the festival?
The official lineup consists of the Main Competition, Un Certain Regard, Midnight Screenings and
Special Screenings.
Un Certain Regard consists of fresher and more experimental talents.
It features the directorial debut of actor Ryan Gosling this year.
Beyond this lineup, there are the parallel festival Director's Fortnight and Critics'
Week.
These are technically separate festivals but do all happen under same banner.
In recent years, Director's Fortnight has been particularly notable as a bellwether
of new world cinema trends.
Korea was shut out last year but is making a big comeback in 2014.
What can you tell us about this year's crop of Korean films at Cannes?
While once again there are no films in competition, the Midnight Screenings, Un Certain Regard
and Director's Fortnight sections will each screen one Korean film.
A Girl at My Door, produced by Lee Chang-dong
and directed by July Jung, was invited to Un Certain Regard.
Starring Bae Doo-na and Kim Sae-ron, the film is a terrific drama that explore social mores
in contemporary Korea.
New action thriller The Target, a remake of the recent French film Point Blank, will screen
in the Midnight Program.
New leading man Ryu Seung-ryong threw himself into the ruckus and the film has already proven
to be a hit in Korea, having opened here two weeks ago.
Director's Fortnight will feature another thriller, the high concept mystery crime film
A Hard Day.
Lee Sung-kyun and Cho Jin-woong may not be big stars, but the film is sure to draw notice
for its tight scripting and technical polish.
Do you think Korea will have a big presence at Cannes this year?
I think the films are quite strong and should speak for themselves, not to mention the shorts
BREATH and MAN IN THE CHAIR, also incited.
But Korean talent will also been seen elsewhere.
Jeon Do-yeon is part of the main competition jury and Song Hye-kyo will visit Cannes to
promote John Woo's upcoming blockbuster CROSSING.
The Cannes Film Market will also be in full swing, and there will be a variety of major
Korean films presented there.
Well, not only the films themselves, but from the red carpet to who's there, who's not,
who said what - definitely a lot to look forward to in this 11 day-long film extravaganza.
Thanks, Pierce - and we'll check in with you next week for another dose of our REEL talk.