«I am very psyched, to the point of shock, by all of the new directors this year. Whether you are invited to Cannes or not, I would like to express my sincere congratulations to all of you, the new filmmakers from all over the world, for completing your first film. Congratulations! »

Bong Joon-ho studied sociology and film at the Korean Academy of Film Art before becoming a director. He achieved critical acclaim for his first feature film Barking Dogs Never Bite distinguished by the Fipresci Award at the Hong Kong Film Festival in 2001. His next film, Memories of Murder (2004), which achieved huge public success in Korea, earned him a Best Director Award at San Sebastian. The Host, screened in 2006 at the Directors’ Fortnight, finally sealed his reputation as a director of genre films raised to the level of art.
He was invited to Cannes in the Official Selection with Shaking Tokyo (2008), part of the trilogy Tokyo! which he signed with Leos Carax and Michel Gondry. In 2009, he presented Mother at Un Certain Regard, later awarded by many international film festivals.