Beginning next year, the Cannes Film Festival will disqualify any film that’s not had a theatrical release in France from competing for the prestigious Palme d’Or. The announcement was made last week and is widely considered to be a move against Netflix, the global streaming giant.
This year, two films produced by Netflix - The Meyerowitz Stories directed by Noah Baumbach and Bong Joon-ho’s Okja - are vying for the Palme d’Or. According to NY Times, French cinema owners protested because they wouldn’t be shown in the theatres.
France has a law that requires a percentage of all box office, DVD, video on demand, television and streaming revenues to be pooled in to boost domestic and foreign films. It also requires a 36-month delay between the theatrical release and streaming date of a film. Netflix did not agree to be part of the system - hence the uproar.
I deplore Netflix’s attitude in this affair, which showed total intransigence and refusing to understand and accept how the French cultural exception works.Christophe Tardieu, Director, National Cinema Center (CNC)
Reed Hastings, CEO, Netflix responded to the new rule with a strong post on Facebook:
(Source: NY Times)
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