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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 12 april 2018
Netflix pulls out of Cannes Film Festival in growing dispute

By JAKE COYLE "The Meyerowitz Stories" —
NEW YORK (AP) — Ted Sa- premiered in competition
randos, Netflix's chief con- at Cannes, prompting out-
tent officer, on Wednesday rage from French theater
said the streaming giant owners and unions.
is pulling its films from the Last year's festival became
Cannes Film Festival, further a kind of referendum on
intensifying an ongoing dis- Netflix's role in cinema. Ad-
pute between Netflix and vocates for the streaming
the world's most prestigious service point to the cre-
film festival. ative freedom Netflix offers
Cannes earlier banned to filmmakers and its finan-
any films without theatrical cial backing of a diverse
distribution in France from and ambitious slate of
its Palme d'Or competi- films. Critics say a platform
tion. That essentially rules destructive to theatrical
out Netflix movies, which moviegoing shouldn't be
are released either day- celebrated at the world's
and-date — on Netflix and foremost celebration of
in some theaters — or sim- cinema.
ply go straight to Netflix. In For Cannes, losing Netflix
France, it's a law that films — and its growing roster of
can't be released on home big-name filmmakers and
entertainment platforms stars — is a blow, depriving In this Feb. 1, 2017 file photo, Netflix CCO Ted Sarandos arrives at the season one premiere of
until 36 months after their the French Rivera festival of "Santa Clarita Diet" in Los Angeles.
theatrical release. some of the high-wattage Associated Press
That still left Netflix the op- glamour it seeks for its red
tion of playing out of com- carpet. Hollywood studios
petition at Cannes. But in have largely stopped mak-
an interview with Variety ing the kinds of movies pre-
published Wednesday, sented in Cannes, though
Sarandos said he doesn't this year's festival will in-
want to send Netflix releas- clude the out-of-compe-
es if they won't be treated tition premiere of Disney's
equally with other movies. "Solo: A Star Wars Story."
"We want our films to be Among the Netflix films be-
on fair ground with every lieved to be in consider-
other filmmaker," said Sa- ation for this year's Cannes,
randos. "There's a risk in us which begins May 8, are:
going in this way and hav- Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma,"
ing our films and filmmakers Paul Greengrass' "Norway,"
treated disrespectfully at Jeremy Saulnier's "Hold the
the festival. They've set the Dark" and Orson Welles' fi-
tone. I don't think it would nal unfinished film "The Oth-
be good for us to be there." er Side of the Wind."
Representatives for Cannes For Netflix, skipping Cannes
didn't immediately com- means those or other re-
ment Wednesday. In an leases won't get the world-
earlier interview, Cannes di- wide promotion afforded
rector Thierry Fremaux said: by the festival, nor the
"The Netflix people loved much-sought honor of be-
the red carpet and would ing a Cannes selection.
like to be present with other Lacking theatrical distribu-
films. But they understand tion or massive marketing
that the intransigence of expenditures, Netflix has
their own model is now the depended heavily on film
opposite of ours." festivals as launch pads for
Last year, two Netflix films its films.
— Bong Joon-ho's "Okja" Sarandos said it's time for
and Noah Baumbach's Cannes to "modernize."
"It is not a coincidence that
Thierry also banned selfies
this year," Sarandos says,
referring to Cannes' new
prohibition of selfie-taking
on the red carpet. "I don't
know what other advances
in media Thierry would like
to address."
A spokeswoman for Netflix
said the company had no
further comment.q