Netflix pulls out of Cannes Film Festival after rule change
After a controversial rule change, Netflix announced its decision to pull out of the Cannes Film Festival.
The battle between old and new cinema began after Cannes effectively banned streaming services from competing in the prestigious film festival. Now, in an interview with Variety, Netflix’s chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, said the company will not change its release strategy: “We want our films to be on equal footing with every other filmmaker,” he said.
“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,” he added.
“It was not our decision to make,” he added.
Thierry Frémaux, the director of the Institut Lumière, of the Lumière Film Festival and of the Cannes Film Festival, imposed a ban on movies competing for the main prizes without a theatrical release. According to Netflix’s Sarandos, that move is “completely contrary to the spirit of any film festival in the world”.
“We hope that they do change the rules,” Sarandos said. “We hope that they modernize. But we will continue to support all films and all film-makers. We encourage Cannes to rejoin the world cinema community and welcome them back.”
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