Netflix films A ban on Netflix films in competition, which came about after the streaming giant refused to show them in French cinemas, has meant the issues of streaming and distribution have also been hot topics. The issue prompted Juror Ava DuVernay, who made
13th for Netflix, to make a plea for "flexibility of thought". In March and April 2018, weeks before general delegate
Thierry Frémaux was set to unveil the official selection, reports suggested streaming service
Netflix was to pull its already-selected films from premiering at the festival in retaliation for the barring of Netflix films from competing. They were still allowed to premiere in other sections, and many reportedly opted for an Out of Competition berth. The films affected were
Alfonso Cuarón's
Roma,
Morgan Neville's ''
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead'',
Orson Welles' final film
The Other Side of the Wind,
Paul Greengrass'
22 July, and
Jeremy Saulnier's
Hold the Dark. Ultimately, Netflix pulled all of their films from selection. Notably, in the press conference announcement, Frémaux commented that he wanted
The Other Side of the Wind and had planned to screen it as a special screening with the Welles-related documentary ''
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead. He also noted that he had selected Roma'' for competition.
Lars Von Trier Danish film director
Lars von Trier returned to Cannes with his film
The House That Jack Built, after he was declared "
persona non grata" at the
2011 festival.
Gender equality The chair of the jury
Cate Blanchett has called for gender parity at the Cannes Film Festival, calling it "almost a gladiatorial sport". However, she concedes that there has been improvements and the change "won't happen overnight". The festival launched a sexual harassment hotline in partnership with France’s Ministry of Gender Equality where victims of harassment and abuse could receive support and guidance by calling a dedicated number.
Homophobia French actor
Éric Bernard, who was attending as part of the cast of the LGBTQ+ movie
Sauvage, blamed the French film industry for the decline in his career, alleging that it was a consequence of homophobic bias. During an interview with
20 minutes in 2023, Bernard recalled that he went to the Cannes festival in 2018 and walked hand in hand with his husband, which caused Bernard's manager to scold him, advising to hide his relationship to protect his career. == Official awards ==