Netflix Banned From Cannes

(RTTNews) - The Cannes Film Festival has announced it would change its rules that would require all future competition films to be screened in French movie theaters.

The film festival decided to change the rules after facing pressure from French theatre owners who have raised their concerns over Netflix films being allowed to enter the festival without being shown in French theatres.

"The Meyerowitz Stories," directed by Noah Baumbach, and Bong Joon-ho's "Okja," both produced by Netflix are participating in the festival, which begins May 17.

"The Festival de Cannes is aware of the anxiety aroused by the absence of the release in theaters of those films in France," the festival said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The festival asked Netflix in vain to accept that these two films could reach the audience of French movie theaters and not only its subscribers. Hence the Festival regrets that no agreement has been reached," it added.