Netflix banned from competing at Cannes Film Festival

Netflix has been banned from competing in the Cannes Film Festival, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter. Theirry Fremaux, the head of Cannes, told THR last week the ban is because Netflix refuses to release its films in theaters, choosing instead to debut them on its streaming service and, in some rare cases, do day-and-date releases so the film can be seen both online and off. In the case of Bong Joon-ho’s Okja and Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories — films that were entered into last year’s Cannes to widespread protest from French filmmakers — Netflix was unable to secure last-minute permits for one-week theatrical releases due to French media regulations.

“Last year, when we selected these two films, I thought I could convince Netflix to release them in cinemas. I was presumptuous, they refused,” Fremaux told THR. “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.” Starting with this year’s Cannes, which takes place in May, films screened in competition will need to have a French theatrical release. Netflix is still allowed to show films at Cannes, Fremaux added, but its films will not be eligible for the prestigious Palme d’Or.