Cannes Bans Selfies on the Red Carpet, Axes Morning Press Screenings Ahead of Premieres.
Director of the Cannes Film Festival, Thierry Fremaux, has banned “ridiculous and grotesque” selfies on the red carpet ahead of the 2018 ceremony.
In an interview with Le Film Francais, the 57-year-old explained his reasoning behind the social media cull: “On the red carpet, the trivial aspect and the slowing down provoked by the disorder which these selfies create tarnishes the quality of [the red carpet experience] and of the festival as a whole.”
But this isn’t the first time Fremaux has tried to crack down in the post-Instagram era, as he tried to forbid selfies back in 2015.
According to the The Hollywood Reporter, the artistic director said: “We don’t want to prohibit it, but we want to slow down the process of selfies on the steps.”
He also referred to the social media practice as “ridiculous and grotesque” before adding, “You never look as ugly as you do in a selfie.”
But this isn’t the only measure Fremaux is bringing in ahead of the 2018 ceremony, which is celebrating its 71st edition in May.
In a bid to ramp up the anticipation of evening gala premieres, the 57-year-old is bringing an end to morning press screenings. Under new rules, critics and journalists will see films in the Debussy theatre at the same time that guests inside the main auditorium watch the world premieres.
This is also in an attempt to prevent early reviews which can damage a film’s prospects before its gala unveiling. In the past, harsh critics have led some filmmakers to lean towards festivals held in Venice and Toronto instead.
This year’s star-studded ceremony will also begin a day earlier than in the past, on Tuesday May 8, to make room for the closing ceremony on Saturday.
