Cannes Film Festival jury president Park Chan-wook joked that he coveted the Palme d’Or prize during the festival’s final press conference on Saturday.
The comment highlights the prestige of the award and the personal ambitions of the filmmakers who are tasked with judging their peers. By acknowledging his own desire for the trophy, Park humanized the often opaque process of selecting the festival's highest honor.
Park served as the jury president for the 2026 [1] edition of the festival in Cannes, France. During the closing events, he said the jury faced difficulty when attempting to select a winner among the competing films.
"To be completely honest, I’m coveting the Palme d’Or," Park said. He said, "I still haven’t won a Palme d’Or."
The director used the moment to reflect on the competitive nature of the industry and the specific weight of the Cannes top prize. He said the selection process was not simple, stating, "We couldn’t decide…"
Park's remarks came as the festival concluded its annual schedule. The jury president's role involves overseeing the deliberation process and announcing the winners of the various categories, including the coveted Palme d’Or. His admission regarding his own lack of the trophy added a layer of irony to his position as the individual presiding over the award's distribution this year.
“"To be completely honest, I’m coveting the Palme d’Or."”
Park Chan-wook's comments underscore the immense professional value placed on the Palme d’Or within the global cinematic community. Even for a director of Park's stature, the absence of this specific accolade remains a notable gap in a career, illustrating how the festival's validation continues to drive filmmaker ambition regardless of existing fame.
