Slashdot Mirror
Netflix Pulls Out of Cannes Following Rule Change (variety.com)
Netflix and Cannes are breaking up, at least for now. On Wednesday, Netflix chief Ted Sarandos said that the streaming platform won't be sending any films to the prestigious French festival, formally severing the strained relationship between the two power players. The decision was a long time coming, after Cannes established a rule that forbade films without a theatrical distribution plan from its competition. From, a report: In an exclusive interview with Variety, Netflix's chief content officer says that the festival sent a clear message with a new rule that bans any films without theatrical distribution in France from playing in competition. Netflix could screen some of its upcoming movies out of competition, but Sarandos says that doesn't make sense for the streaming service. "We want our films to be on fair ground with every other filmmaker," Sarandos says. "There's a risk in us going in this way and having our films and filmmakers treated disrespectfully at the festival. They've set the tone. I don't think it would be good for us to be there."
Netflix made a big splash at the prestigious film festival last year with two movies that showed in competition: Bong Joon-ho's "Okja" and Noah Baumbach's "The Meyerowitz Stories." But after the 2017 announcement, French theaters owners and unions protested the inclusion of these films to Thierry Fremaux, the artistic director of Cannes. Netflix was amenable to having their movies play on big screens in France, but a law in the country requires movies to not appear in home platforms for 36 months after their theatrical release.
Netflix made a big splash at the prestigious film festival last year with two movies that showed in competition: Bong Joon-ho's "Okja" and Noah Baumbach's "The Meyerowitz Stories." But after the 2017 announcement, French theaters owners and unions protested the inclusion of these films to Thierry Fremaux, the artistic director of Cannes. Netflix was amenable to having their movies play on big screens in France, but a law in the country requires movies to not appear in home platforms for 36 months after their theatrical release.
a law in the country requires movies to not appear in home platforms for 36 months after their theatrical release.
What a cheapshot law. Protectionism for some industry has never really worked, why is this a law? Time for that to change. Silly.
Adapt or die.
effete snobs. fuck 'em.
something something unions something something
Cannes established a rule that forbade films without a theatrical distribution plan from its competition
So Netflix announces that it has pulled out of a competition that it can't enter.
LOL. WTF.
He said!
If things like this preclude Netflix from attending places like Cannes, it only makes sense for Netflix (and every other non-traditional studio) to get together and build their own awards festival. It's not like Netflix is going away anytime soon, so this is a loss for Cannes.
Of course there'll be the obligatory Blackjack and Hookers.
I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
No they weren't allowed to compete, they could still screen thier movies there. They have decided to not even do that.
Comic book superhero fan is angry at Cannes. Who'd have thunk it!
There are plenty of film festivals in the USA with loads of prestige. Netflix doesn't need Cannes, and Cannes loses prestige as a result of this ruling.
On another note, this spat can be expanded into the field of sport. American cycling teams don't need the prestige of the Tour de France. The USA has much more spectacular cycling routes through the Rocky Mountains of the USA, in comparison to the Pyrenees and Alpine routes used by the Tour de France.
Vive les Etats-Unis d'Amerique et ces beaux arts!
Cannes has a big market. Hundreds of movies are sold globally in Cannes, at the same time many producers find funding for their big budget and indie films. Netflix buys movies for a few dollars and produce a mere handful of movies every year. Cannes is still a very important platform for the movie business.
Netflix has no space in this old world. They simply put online any movie and people may decide to watch it or not. Meanwhile everyone else has to find distribution and pay for advertising.
No, they'd have to release the movies involved in French theatres (okay), but then (according to the law) wait 3 years before offering it to their French subscribers? Obviously not happening.
Or they could show the movies at Cannes, but not have 'em compete. Why not compete alongside the other movies shown there? Not fair (at least in Netflix' opinion, and I would agree).
Remaining option: pull out all together. Which seems quite a reasonable choice given the above.
Why do I get the feeling that the big Hollywood studios are behind this? Having to release the movie in theaters seems like an obvious swipe at streaming services. Cannes - and the Oscars and Emmys for that matter - could disappear tomorrow and I could care less. The ratings on these shows are plummeting. Does anyone outside of the coastal cities even watch this shit anymore?
Netflix could spare some money and buy a defunct movie theater somewhere in France, and just show all their new movies there on a rotating basis. They could make up the money with very overpriced movie food and drinks...
They're not in the film business anymore than Hallmark is.
There's a huge difference between creating films for the big screen and just pumping out content for your own TV station.
If you want to be a film company then release to theaters.
Work Safe Porn
"Netflix Pulls Out of Cannes"
So this year the Netflix "big splash" will occur somewhere else.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Where does a law like this originate? So if it is shown is a theater, at all, it automatically cannot be shown on any other medium for 3 years? I can only see this as a law to fuck content creators over because Theater operators have more say with the elected than the electorate. Maybe this is a sign that most of the 'would be' democracies are oligarchies as well :(
-magister-
'Nuf said,
ts not just Cannes, the Oscars also has rules requiring a theatrical release.
Unlike the Cannes festival, which requires a release in France, the Academy Awards require a release in Los Angeles in the USA. Unlike France, the USA lacks national regulation of motion picture release windows. This means after a movie completes its 7-day run in LA, it can go straight to Netflix with no mandatory 36-month waiting period.
"[A] law in the country requires movies to not appear in home platforms for 36 months after their theatrical release" - customers want it now, not later, and they will probably get it now, or not at all. This kind of law ensures jobs for lawyers, though, I guess...
Leela: "Is all the work done by children?" Alien: "No, not the whipping."
Cannes is a ancient ritual. Netflix is a big business. I remember the former CEO of Disney when the onstage performance Lion King was not the winner at what every the onstage performance awards, despite it make more than any stage performance that year, he said 'I am crying all the way to the bank'. It is a business. Netflix is not worried about Cannes, nor should they. Likely the French viewership is less than 2% of their business and holding a movie off the streaming for a year does not make sense. I would have made Netflix's decision tree too. Like may other film companies will abandon Cannes. Black Panther for example is making lots of dollars. It would make even more streaming on Amazon. Sci Fi did 'The Expanse' and put it on Amazon and made many dollars. They did not Cannes. Cannes is a past event. Let the French people live in their past glory.
Because the visual effects of Tron were revolutionary and computer-generated imagery as an actual environment was used for the first time, the Academy considered the film a cheat.
And they're right. 3 years between theatrical release and home release? Not realistic and not viable in the 21st Century. Locarno and Venice are more in touch with today's reality. Screw Cannes.
Speaking of...
"a law in the country requires movies to not appear in home platforms for 36 months after their theatrical release"
That's helping viewers how, exactly?
...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
They are so stupid they even wonder why the rest of the world regard them as stupid... Well, this is why.
A movie cannot have any qualities unless it is shown in french cinemas?!
Netflix should circumvent this moronic 'rule' by buying a small possibly closed cinema somewhere in France and put up their movies there. Set the ticket price at €1.000.000 or similar so there will be no guests to service.
"For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong." -- H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) --
Netflix simply opens a range of cinemas world wide... it'd make sense as it could be run as a loss leader (but would more likely be profitable) and would boost signups of the platform and also qualify Netflix for similar "theatrical release" rules...
It truly is a stupid rule... in what way does it boost standing of the film in any shape or form.
It is not to help viewers, it is to help theaters. In their mind, if the movie is available to quickly after theater release, people will just wait for the digital release, and not pay an overpriced cinema ticket (easily 15€ per person when 3D) They had the sale rules with VHS/DVD,etc albeit much shorter (I think 6 months, reduced now to 3, not sure) The French love stupid rules like that... In the same way, you cannot broadcast movies on tv channels on friday and saturday nights, so that people would go out instead.
So why not ban all the movies that were shot digitally too.
Fuck theaters
And as a result, people actually go out and the cities are enjoyable... unlike many US cities which are deserted after work hours.
Where they can get run down by robot cars because uber needs to make a profit
People going out isn't because they are forced to go to the cinema.
It's the culture. Children grow up going outdoors, socializing etc., in ways they find enjoyable and result in them doing the same thing through their adulthood.
...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
Did Netflix bust first or after. Inquiring minds want to know. It sounds like Cannes is Netflix's bitch either way.
Not 3 years, only 3 months.
And it applies to french movies, too.
Pretty simple, fuck the French. Their cars suck, we got rid of them years ago, and our wine is much better. Every day you are able to not be arround anything French is a great day. Fuck the French!
And as a result, people actually go out and the cities are enjoyable... unlike many US cities which are deserted after work hours.
Are cinemas the only thing to do in france or something?
Wanna buy a shirt?
https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
Your wines are crap
There are plenty of film festivals in the USA with loads of prestige. Netflix doesn't need Cannes, and Cannes loses prestige as a result of this ruling.
On another note, this spat can be expanded into the field of sport. American cycling teams don't need the prestige of the Tour de France. The USA has much more spectacular cycling routes through the Rocky Mountains of the USA, in comparison to the Pyrenees and Alpine routes used by the Tour de France.
And an American team wins the world series every time.
Wanna buy a shirt?
https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
sucks in SO many ways.
France's movie theater owners obviously hold their politicians like putty in their hands.
Cannes established a rule that forbade films without a theatrical distribution plan from its competition
So Netflix announces that it has pulled out of a competition that it can't enter.
LOL. WTF.
Congratulations, your reading comprehension is poor.
I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
Accept ALL movies and let the best ones win.
Simple.
But they are putting their engines in a lot of cars, even Mercedes
"a law in [France] requires movies to not appear in home platforms for 36 months after their theatrical release." What if they release on home platforms first and then decide to release it in the theater? Do they have to wait 3 years before releasing it in the theater? Or can they never show it in a theater in France if it's on a home platform first?
but a law in the country requires movies to not appear in home platforms for 36 months after their theatrical release.
Doesn't this put out Cannes every international movie? Or are dvd relases and streaming services delayed in France.
Do you, honestly, not know why that was modded down? Are you really saying you're that clueless? I hope that you're just being disingenuous for your sake (although it's not not like it says great things for you either way). If you truly, genuinely, can't see why that was objectionable (and off topic), then you probably have psychological problems for which there's no cure. You will probably have a pathetic life, always blaming others for rejecting you, and never understanding how to fix it.
Children grow up going outdoors, socializing etc., in ways they find enjoyable and result in them doing the same thing through their adulthood.
If that were true, then they wouldn't need draconian rules to force them to live their lives in a specific way.
"Fuck the French!"
Once you start down that road you might as well fuck everyone.
Trump is on it.
They don't need draconian rules to force them to live their lives in a specific way. "have" != "need".
does that include things like Blu-Ray?
Is France just now getting The Martian and Mad Max:Fury Road?
Do they have to wait until December for Star Wars:The Force Awakens?
Calvin:Do you believe in the devil? Hobbes:I'm not sure man needs the help.
Sort of unsatisfying.
L'Idiot
More and more these types of things - film festivals, award shows - are being shown to be irrelevant in the current world. Back in the days before immediate access to everything they were big events that were a way to see the big name actors (gender neutral term). Now you can't avoid seeing them in any online social or media outlet.
People see the movies they like and those make money. Critics go for the weird, niche movies that no one cares about. And the ones the critics like make it to the festivals and awards shows. Being commercially successful might get a few technical awards but if it makes money then it's not award worthy.
And it's time for these things to die. Really. They're film industry masturbation. People aren't interested in watching hours of awards being presented and acceptance speeches along with - gasp - some 'candid' footage of actors in the audience. And cord cutters can't watch anyway since it's all on broadcast media.
That being said Cannes is a private event and the people who run it can make whatever rules they want. Netflix doesn't really care and it's not going to hurt them in the slightest. They'll probably even find a way to turn this to their advantage.
... but I'm sure that will suit the French just fine.
How silly of them.
My film was so great that Cannes wouldn't let it compete with the other films.
That how I would market them.
...let me guess....some idiotic movie that no one will ever watch will garner rave reviews at Cannes!
Yeah....welcome to the 20th century Cannes.
I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
One more sign that film makers are in denial. The future is Netflix/Amazon and maybe Hulu. Theaters are going to be gone in 10 years, just like TV. Users are not going to put up with the stupid ads, crappy seats and sticky floors. The future is 10 foot TV's with surround audio for $100 for your home. Why would you go to a theater? Well, it is kind of entertaining to have to listen to the folks in front of you talking through the film and texting during the dark, quiet parts.
It does help explain why Netflix has a different library available in different countries. I had always read that it is due to solely US Hollywood greed
Will Cannes have original content from the other cable channels?
When questioned about the law, Netflix replied "Yeah, well, we're gonna make our own Film Festival... with blackjack, and hookers. In fact, forget the Film Festival."
#DeleteFacebook
That's not a Cannes rules, it's a French law.
For Netflix, the combination of a Cannes requirement (theatrical distribution) and a French law (36-month delay after theatrical release) are simply incompatible with their business model.
Apparently Netflix was fine with being unable to compete, but Cannes was so hostile toward them that they don't even want to show up to demo their work.
Well, I like Netflix's original content more than I like Cannes award winners, so I'm quite happy to see Netflix go their own way. There is a world of difference between an elite organization and an elitist organization, and Cannes is trending toward the latter.
Most French wine is significantly worse and more expensive than most Californian/Oregonian wine.
And they don't really have them.
The interdiction to stream for 36 months is not to their benefit, it's an argument AGAINST what you're saying.
...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
Actually, the libraries difference are not only because of that.
The main reason Netflix can't make certain movies or series available in certain countries is active exclusivity contracts.
Some movies and TV series have been licensed for distribution to company A for country X. Therefore, Netflix can't offer those movies because they would breach the exclusivity contract.
this doesn't help customers either, by the way. It's actually why I ditched Netflix after a few months.
...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
it's a French law.
Well done, French, you just played yourself. This is as stupid as the Superbowl, where competitors from a single country call themselves "World Champion".
But then again, the French always like to shoot themselves in the foot. Aren't they supposed to be on strike this week?
I'm not a complete idiot... Some parts are missing.
Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out!
Maybe I would care if Netflix "films" weren't almost entirely complete garbage. Netflix films are like a dog walking on its hind legs: It's impressive not due to how well the dog does it, but that it does it at all.
Caanes risks becoming irrelevant also.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
And an American team wins the world series every time.
Depends on what you mean by "American". Toronto won a couple in the 1990s.
Yes, but Netflix business is built around distribution of movies to the home user, not to the theaters. 3 months is a bit more reasonable, but still quite reasonably unacceptable.
I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
When I was a kid I used to go to dime theaters. Where did they go? What social change should *I* advocate to get them back?
IOW, I think you're being foolish. Inflation has happened. If you want to preserve dollar theaters, the prescription to do that is a major depression. Are you sure that's what you want?
I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
Except in 1992 and 1993.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Name one other country that plays handegg (football). Name one that uses the same rules, field, etc.
I'll wait.
No one? So they are world champions then?
Close enough ;)
Wanna buy a shirt?
https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
I'm a pedantic jackass - there's no such thing.
Fuck the French!
Only if you wash them first...
Really stupid move on the part of the festival.
It'll be dead within a decade.
AWARDS GUIDE FOR NETFLIX EXECUTIVES
- Oscar: Theaters
- Emmy: Televisions*
*That's us.
Netflix was amenable to having their movies play on big screens in France, but a law in the country requires movies to not appear in home platforms for 36 months after their theatrical release.
Seems like waiting 3 years before selling a now-forgotten movie to individuals is like shooting one's self in the foot. Yes?
Allowing further distribution after having dwindled the theatrical runs seems a far better benefit for everyone here - producers (continued revenue stream) AND consumers (still have interest in a release, and likely at a cheaper viewing).
Self-importance and self-indulgence is the root of ALL evil.