If you’ve somehow ignored the Peak Film Twitter brouhaha between Netflix and the Cannes Film Festival, here’s a brief summary: Netflix had two movies at Cannes in 2017, but none this year because there’s a law that says all movies released in France must have theatrical runs, and Netflix is unwilling to show their titles out of competition, which runs “completely contrary to the spirit of any film festival in the world,” according to chief content officer Ted Sarandos.
The daughter of Orson Welles, whose previously-incomplete The Other Side of the Wind was to premiere at Cannes (Netflix provided the post-production finances), has shared her two cents, as has Cannes director Thierry Fremaux, who told Screen Daily he nearly lost his job last year over the Netflix fracas.
“I am asking them to accept that rule,” he said. “They show dozens and dozens of films each year on Netflix. Could they not release just one film a year theatrically in France in order for it to come to Cannes?” Fremaux later added, “Up until now, I’ve only done good stuff for Netflix. Last year there were two films. But I was heavily criticized. I nearly lost my job. It was very violent. I like Ted Sarandos a lot. One day we’ll be on the red carpet together again. A lot of things are going to change. Netflix is going to change, Cannes is going to change.” Just not soon enough to make nice for Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma.
(Via Screen Daily)
