Netflix banned from Cannes Film Festival competition

U.S.-based streaming giant Netflix has been banned from competing in this year’s Cannes Film Festival. However, the service can still screen its films out of competition at the festival itself.

Netflix isn’t the only streaming service that’s been banned from competing for the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes festival. Any production house that doesn’t plan on releasing its films in physical French cinemas will also be prevented from competing in the festival.

The news comes from a Le Film Francais interview with Thierry Fremaux, the general director of the Cannes Film Festival, who also announced a selfie ban at the world’s most-esteemed film festival.

The streaming service ban comes on the heels of controversy that took place at last year’s Cannes.

Last year was the first time that Netflix competed for the Palme d’Or, when Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories and Bong Joon-Ho’s Okja competed for the prestigious award.

However, Netflix’s presence at the festival drew criticism from more traditional members of the French film industry who felt that the presence of a streaming service giant that doesn’t release films in physical cinemas was an attack on the values of film.

In an attempt to compromise with film organizers, Netflix sought out a permit to screen their films in French theatres for one week, starting on the same day that the films were released to streaming platform.

Due to French chronology laws, however, Netflix and Cannes were unable to arrive at an agreement.

“Last year, when we selected these two films, I thought I could convince Netflix to release them in theatres,” said Fremaux, in an interview with Le Film Francais, translated from French. “I was very presumptuous. They refused.”

According to Fremaux, “the Netflix people loved the red carpet and would like to be present with other films. But they understand that the intransigence of their own model is now the opposite of ours.”

Source: Paris Match, Via: The Hollywood Reporter