Netflix films are banned from awards at Cannes Film Festival

Yep, no Netflix original film will ever be winning the prestigious Palme d’Or. The head of the most famous film festival in the world, Thierry Frémaux, told the Hollywood Reporter that while Netflix is welcome to screen its films at the festival, they will be ineligible for awards:

“The Netflix people loved the red carpet and would like to be present with other films. But they understand that the intransigence of their own model is now the opposite of ours.”

Frémaux came under heavy criticism last year when he included two films, Okja and The Meyerowitz Stories, in the festival’s lineup. Both films received critical acclaim, but they were only streamed on Netflix and Netflix refused to release them theatrically.

“We have to take into account the existence of these powerful new players: Amazon, Netflix, and maybe soon Apple,” Frémaux added. “[But] cinema [still] triumphs everywhere even in this golden age of series. The history of cinema and the history of the internet are two different things.”

One person who would probably agree with Frémaux is Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. The famous director recently told ITV News that Netflix films should be ineligible for Oscars:

“Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie. You certainly, if it’s a good show, deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar. I don’t believe films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theaters for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.”