Director Bong Joon-ho to head Camera d'or jury in Cannes

Korean director Bong Joon-ho [Official Festival de Cannes website]

Famed Korean director Bong Joon-ho has been appointed president of the Camera d'or jury at this year's Festival de Cannes.

The webpage for Cannes announced Friday that Bong will preside over the Camera d'or jury of the 64th edition of the fest that will take place from May 11 till 22 in Cannes, France.

He will award the best first film presented in the Official Selection, during Critic's Week or Directors' Fortnight, during the closing ceremony held on the last day of the film event.

This will make Bong the third Korean director to be named a member of the jury for a main category at the prestigious film fest -- former Busan International Film Festival director Kim Dong-ho was on the jury for Un Certain Regard last year and director Lee Chang-dong for international competition in 2009.

Lee, whose film "Secret Sunshine" played in main competition in 2007 and earned actress Jeon Do-yeon the award for best actress at Cannes, will chair the jury of Cannes's Critics' Week section this year.

Meanwhile, top Hollywood actor Robert De Niro will chair the jury for the main competition, Serbian filmmaker and actor Emir Kusturica will head the Un Certain Regard section and French director Michel Gondry will oversee the short film and Cinefondation jury.

Bong was first invited to the Cannes Film Festival in 2006 where his monster film "The Host" was screened at Directors' Fortnight. He then attended the film festival with trilogy "Tokyo!" in 2008 which was helmed with French directors Leos Carax and Michel Gondry.

His 2009 drama "Mother," starring Hallyu star Won Bin and actress Kim Hye-ja, premiered at Cannes under the film festival's secondary Un Certain Regard competition. He is also well-known for his first feature film "Barking Dog (2000)" and "Memories of Murder (2004)," the latter winning him the prize for best director at the Cognac Police Film Festival.

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