Hirokazu Kore-eda to compete for Palme d'Or with 'Sheep in the Box'

Kore-eda's festival return

Filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda will return to the Cannes Film Festival with his new film, 'Sheep in the Box.' The project is set to be the acclaimed Japanese director's eighth entry into the festival's main competition. A first look at the film has surfaced, with a clip from the project becoming available ahead of its premiere on the Croisette.

Details about the film remain scarce. The title is the only concrete information released about the project, with no cast, plot, or genre details accompanying the early footage. The film’s inclusion in the main competition places it among the year's most anticipated international titles, continuing Kore-eda's long and celebrated history with the French festival. For decades, a Kore-eda selection has been a fixture of the Cannes slate, making his presence a familiar and respected component of the competition.

An eighth competition entry

Kore-eda is a perennial figure at Cannes and a previous winner of its highest honor, the Palme d'Or. He secured the prestigious prize in 2018 for his film 'Shoplifters,' a drama that went on to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. His return to the main competition underscores his status as one of contemporary cinema's most consistently lauded auteurs.

His eighth competition entry places him in a small group of filmmakers who have repeatedly vied for the Palme d'Or. While the festival has not yet detailed its full official selection, the confirmation of Kore-eda’s new work signals a strong start for the forthcoming lineup. The director's consistent output and critical reception make 'Sheep in the Box' an immediate film to watch as the festival season officially gets underway.