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.
Don't indulge that cesspit of virtue signaling limousine liberals. You don't need them and nothing — absolutely nothing — about your business and you future relies on anything going on there, so walk away.
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
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?
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.
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.
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...
So why not ban all the movies that were shot digitally too.
Fuck theaters
Did Netflix bust first or after. Inquiring minds want to know. It sounds like Cannes is Netflix's bitch either way.
sucks in SO many ways.
Accept ALL movies and let the best ones win.
Simple.
"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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
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.