Cannes Standouts ‘Hope’ And ‘Colony’ Head To New York Asian Film Festival
Key takeaways
- Hollywood & Entertainment Cannes Standouts ‘Hope’ And ‘Colony’ Head To New York Asian Film Festival By Regina Kim,
- Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights.
- Notably, Na is the first Korean director to have every one of his feature films invited to Cannes.
Hollywood & Entertainment Cannes Standouts ‘Hope’ And ‘Colony’ Head To New York Asian Film Festival By Regina Kim,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Regina Kim covers Korean and Asian American entertainment.Follow Author Jun 24, 2026, 04:13pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Summary The 25th New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), running July 10-26, will host the North American premieres of two highly anticipated Korean films from Cannes. Yeon Sang-ho's zombie thriller *Colony*, which screened in Cannes' Midnight section and stars Gianna Jun, will open the festival. Na Hong-jin's *Hope*, the first Korean film in four years to compete for the Palme d'Or, serves as the centerpiece. Both Na and Yeon will attend NYAFF for Q&As. NYAFF will also honor Gianna Jun with the Extraordinary Star Asia Award, celebrating her return to the big screen and featuring a 4K restoration of her iconic romcom *My Sassy Girl*. The impressive lineup also includes retrospectives of Na's and Yeon's earlier films as well as a screening of *The King's Warden*, Korea's highest-grossing film ever.
Still from Na Hong-jin's 'Hope'Courtesy of NEONThe 2026 New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) is celebrating its 25th edition with an impressive lineup that includes two of the most talked-about films from this year’s Cannes Film Festival: Na Hong-jin’s Hope and Yeon Sang-ho’s Colony. Widely regarded as two of South Korea's leading filmmakers, both directors unveiled their latest projects at Cannes, where Hope became the first Korean film in four years to compete for the Palme d'Or and Colony screened in the festival's Midnight Screenings section. Notably, Na is the first Korean director to have every one of his feature films invited to Cannes.