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Netflix Banned From Competing At Cannes Film Festival Due To Lack of Theatrical Releases (theverge.com)
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," reports The Verge. From the report: 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.
Like a second Cannes, but with blackjack and hookers? Sounds like a plan.
TFA is terrible at explaining this, but the reason Netflix can't enter Cannes is because their movies haven't been in French cinemas, and the reason their movies haven't been in French cinemas is because it's illegal to to show movies inside and outside cinemas at the same time: http://merlin.obs.coe.int/iris...
Wonder what the public key field is for?
except, that ain't butter.
I can't believe that.
If the industry didn't make such an event out of this stuff, then no one would!
The other thing is, it also shows how resistant to change the industry is. Just like they couldn't embrace the digital frontier and have had problems with piracy, even now, with streaming, which is a way to get people to pay for this stuff (i.e. not pirate) and they still don't want them in their little club. Not that I really care, but watching from the sidelines makes me think that in doing this, they're displaying a stubbornness and willingness to go down with the ship, if it comes to that.