Mounted police officers patrol in front of the Palais du Festival during the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, Tuesday. (AFP-Yonhap)
Mounted police officers patrol in front of the Palais du Festival during the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, Tuesday. (AFP-Yonhap)

The 79th Cannes Film Festival opened Tuesday on the French Riviera, with Pierre Salvadori's period romance "The Electric Kiss" kicking off a 12-day run that wraps May 23.

Jane Fonda and Gong Li presented the opening ceremony, where Peter Jackson collected an honorary Palme d'Or. Barbra Streisand is set to receive the same honor later in the festival.

Park Chan-wook presides over the main competition jury, becoming the first Korean filmmaker to hold the post. Park leads a panel that includes Demi Moore, Chloe Zhao, Stellan Skarsgard and Ruth Negga.

This year's lineup tilts back toward auteur cinema with major Hollywood studios largely sitting out. Pedro Almodovar, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Asghar Farhadi, Cristian Mungiu, Laszlo Nemes and Pawel Pawlikowski are all in the running for the Palme d'Or, alongside Na Hong-jin's sci-fi thriller "Hope" — the first Korean title in competition since Park's "Decision to Leave" in 2022.

Other Korean entries include Yeon Sang-ho's zombie thriller "Colony" in Midnight Screenings and July Jung's "Dora" in the independent Directors' Fortnight sidebar.

A total of 2,541 features were submitted for this year's edition, with 22 selected for the main competition.

Guests arrive on the red carpet for the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in France on Tuesday. (EPA-Yonhap)
Guests arrive on the red carpet for the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in France on Tuesday. (EPA-Yonhap)
Jury president Park Chan-wook (center) poses with jury members (from left) Paul Laverty, Stellan Skarsgard, Diego Cespedes, Laura Wandel, Demi Moore, Chloe Zhao, Isaach de Bankole and Ruth Negga at the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in France on Tuesday. (AP-Yonhap)
Jury president Park Chan-wook (center) poses with jury members (from left) Paul Laverty, Stellan Skarsgard, Diego Cespedes, Laura Wandel, Demi Moore, Chloe Zhao, Isaach de Bankole and Ruth Negga at the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in France on Tuesday. (AP-Yonhap)
Bong Joon-ho (left) and Melita Toscan du Plantier pose for photographers at the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in France on Tuesday. (AP-Yonhap)
Bong Joon-ho (left) and Melita Toscan du Plantier pose for photographers at the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in France on Tuesday. (AP-Yonhap)
Jury president Park Chan-wook speaks on stage during the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in France on Tuesday. (AFP-Yonhap)
Jury president Park Chan-wook speaks on stage during the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in France on Tuesday. (AFP-Yonhap)
Spectators watch guests walking the red carpet at the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in France on Tuesday. (EPA-Yonhap)
Spectators watch guests walking the red carpet at the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in France on Tuesday. (EPA-Yonhap)

moonkihoon@heraldcorp.com