The 2017 Cannes Film Festival opens today.
For the first time Netflix has two films in contention:
This bristled the Fédération Nationale des Cinémas Français because France has a rule that SVOD services must wait three years after a film’s theatrical release to stream a film.
Netflix has no such plans.
In response, Cannes has decided that all films playing the festival in future years must agree to French theatrical exhibition.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings declared:
“The establishment closing ranks against us. See Okja on Netflix June 28th. Amazing film that theatre chains want to block us from entering into Cannes film festival competition.”
My take: such an interesting conflict! Art versus Commerce. Old versus New. Theatrical versus Streaming. France versus the United States. Big screen versus small screen. Territory versus the world. As much as I love movies in cinemas, I think France’s protectionist 36 month streaming prohibition after theatrical exhibition is absurd.