Director Yeon Sang-ho’s film ‘Colony’ has been officially invited to the Midnight Screenings section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, which runs May 12 to May 23 in Cannes, France.
The festival’s executive committee announced the selection at an official news conference on Wednesday afternoon (Korea time).
Festival director Thierry Fremaux, introducing the invitation, described ‘Colony’ as a horror zombie film set inside a sealed-off building, directed by Yeon, known worldwide for ‘Train to Busan.’ He said the premise would lead audiences to imagine “a range of narrative devices and storytelling possibilities.”
The invitation marks Yeon’s fourth appearance at Cannes, following his feature-length animated debut ‘The King of Pigs’ (2012, Directors’ Fortnight), ‘Train to Busan’ (2016, Midnight Screenings) and ‘Peninsula’ (2020, Official Selection). ‘The King of Pigs’ drew attention as the first Korean feature-length animated film invited to the Directors’ Fortnight.
After that, Yeon’s first live-action film, ‘Train to Busan,’ was invited to Midnight Screenings and was praised by Fremaux as “the best Midnight Screening ever, an action blockbuster that captures both entertainment and social realities.” When ‘Peninsula’ was selected, Yeon was also lauded as “a leading Korean director following Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho,” the article said.
The Midnight Screenings section showcases a small number of genre films — including action, thriller, noir, horror and fantasy — chosen for both artistic merit and popular appeal. With Park Chan-wook serving as jury president in the competition section and ‘Colony’ now confirmed for Midnight Screenings, the festival is expected to be especially notable for Korean film fans, the article said.
Yeon said he was “very happy” to present ‘Colony’ at Cannes and added that he was excited for it to screen in Midnight Screenings, which he called a gathering place for genre-film fans worldwide.
“I will proudly introduce the actors who worked with me and Korea’s genre cinema. Thank you,” he said.
‘Colony’ is set inside a building sealed off after an unidentified outbreak, where isolated survivors confront infected people who evolve in unpredictable ways. The film is scheduled for release in South Korea in May.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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