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Is there a reason Netflix can't do a limited release in a few French theaters, as many as necessary to satisfy the eligibility requirements? Or are they not par

Is there a reason Netflix can't do a limited release in a few French theaters, as many as necessary to satisfy the eligibility requirements? Or are they not particularly concerned about being ineligible for the Palme d'Or? Which is also a valid stance.

readams 9y ago
French law requires movies shown in theaters in France to stay off streaming for 36 months. It's an absurd regulatory capture on par with us auto dealer requirements.
- debt 9y ago
  A film should only be shown in a theater to create a true cinematic experience. I don’t think the regulation is absurd at all. If Netflix makes films and shows them only within a TV format, than it’s a tv show. The cinematic arts requires a cinema by definition.
  - reedx8 9y ago
    The working definition of a "TV show" is a series with regular installments/showings overtime, or at least many shorter length shows. A "movie" is the opposite, with just one production film. This is flexible, of course, as a movie can have later installments, but it is not its primary purpose. There are many "movies" that never make it to the Cinemas because of bad production value, ie bad movies! Your definition would call Netflix's recent film "Bright" a show, which of course it is not. Cannes is being ridiculous.
    - bdcravens 9y ago
      So would the Marvel Cinematic Universe series be a show or movies? How about James Bond?
      - pfisch 9y ago
        TV show episodes aren't released years apart. TV seasons are.
        bdcravens 9y ago
        MCU releases "episodes" every few months
        pfisch 9y ago
        They release less than 2 a year most years
  - titanomachy 9y ago
    If this is sarcasm, it's very subtle and the point is lost on me.
    - B1FF_PSUVM 9y ago
      You may find this informative, if you have a couple of minutes to spare: https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Transformation+of+Quantitative+Into+Qualitative+Changes https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Transformation+o... (or some other hit on "quantitative change leads to qualitative change")
    - debt 9y ago
      A film requires an extremely large format display. Not a small high definition display. Ideally it'd be a large, high definition display. How a film is displayed informs how the film is shot. The same would go for audio as well. How the audio is heard informs how the audio is mixed and mastered. Not to be condescending, but it's really not hard to understand. People don't make films to be shown on a phone for instance. Or if they do make films to be shown on a phone, then it's not a film they'll be making.
  - rblatz 9y ago
    Being in a room with sticky floors and rude people that can’t put their phone down doesn’t some how elevate art.
- jogjayr 9y ago
  Wait wait...French law as in law by the French government? You get hit wit fines by the government if you defy it? Or an industry norm like "If you allow streaming within 36 months of a theatrical release we won't talk to you/union workers won't work for you/no awards for you"? If it's an actual law, that sounds utterly absurd. Good on Netflix for not playing ball.
  - valinor4 9y ago
    Yes, it is an actual law made to protect theaters and the movie industry. More information on it: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronologie_des_m%C3%A9dias https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronologie_des_m%C3%A9dias
  - boudin 9y ago
    To be a bit more precise, the law on it self doesn't define the delays between different media releases, it only enforce those. Delays are defined by agreement between the different industry actors. I guess that the fact there's no big French streaming company make those delays quite unbalanced in favor of movies theatres and tv channels (that often produce movies released in theatres)
  - namdnay 9y ago
    Welcome to France :) We have laws on the percentage of "foreign" music you are allowed to play on radio stations (to fight against the evil english language), laws that prevent TV channels from playing films on friday or saturday evening (to protect those poor cinemas), laws that govern the number of pharmacies by number of inhabitants and disallow ownership of multiple pharmacies or ownership by non-pharmacists (to protect them against the great evil that is competition)...
    - majewsky 9y ago
      > laws that govern the number of pharmacies by number of inhabitants and disallow ownership of multiple pharmacies or ownership by non-pharmacists While that seems a bit over the top, I find the part where it must be owned by a pharmacist quite reasonable. It's the same in Germany.
azemetre 9y ago
Cannes is mostly about having a venue for film makers to find distributors, Netflix films already have a distributor (it's Netflix). It's equivalent to asking why The Last Jedi or Black Panther aren't allowed to enter the competition.
- thaumasiotes 9y ago
  > It's equivalent to asking why The Last Jedi or Black Panther aren't allowed to enter the competition. ...Why aren't they? I don't know the answer, but I suspect it isn't the same thing that's blocking Netflix.
  - azemetre 9y ago
    Because those movies already have distributors... Netflix is a distributor. Netflix submitting films is cheating because they are using the festival not only as free advertising for their platform but it also goes against the spirit of the festival where film makers can showcase their work and easily have distributors buy their work. No one is stopping Netflix from buying films showcased at Cannes, in fact that is highly encouraged (for anyone buying, at that) but for them to act like they are being mistreated is border line stupid. Especially coming from one of the largest tech and media companies in the world. Major multinational corporations that act like the world is against them really rubs me the wrong way and for multinational corporations to take advantage of an extremely empowering art festival is even more sleazy.
    - thaumasiotes 9y ago
      Are you getting this from somewhere? Cannes has this to say about itself: > What is the mission of the Festival de Cannes? > In order to achieve this level of longevity, the Festival de Cannes has remained faithful to its founding purpose: to draw attention to and raise the profile of films, with the aim of contributing towards the development of cinema, boosting the film industry worldwide and celebrating cinema at an international level. And to this day, this profession of faith constitutes the first article of the Festival regulations. ( http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/qui-sommes-nous/festival-de-cannes-1 http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/qui-sommes-nous/festival-d... ) > The spirit of the Festival de Cannes is one of friendship and universal cooperation. Its aim is to reveal and focus attention on works of quality in order to contribute to the evolution of motion picture arts and encourage the development of the film industry throughout the world. ( http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/participer/rules?id=2 http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/participer/rules?id=2 ) The criteria for eligibility are that the film was produced within the previous 12 months, that it hasn't been released internationally, that it hasn't been submitted to any rival international film festivals, and that, if chosen, the film will be released in French theaters in accordance with French law. Netflix is blocked by that last one, because the French law of cinematic releases says you can't stream them. I don't see what would block Marvel films if they wanted to enter, though.

readams 9y ago

French law requires movies shown in theaters in France to stay off streaming for 36 months. It's an absurd regulatory capture on par with us auto dealer requirements.

debt 9y ago
A film should only be shown in a theater to create a true cinematic experience. I don’t think the regulation is absurd at all. If Netflix makes films and shows them only within a TV format, than it’s a tv show. The cinematic arts requires a cinema by definition.
- reedx8 9y ago
  The working definition of a "TV show" is a series with regular installments/showings overtime, or at least many shorter length shows. A "movie" is the opposite, with just one production film. This is flexible, of course, as a movie can have later installments, but it is not its primary purpose. There are many "movies" that never make it to the Cinemas because of bad production value, ie bad movies! Your definition would call Netflix's recent film "Bright" a show, which of course it is not. Cannes is being ridiculous.
  - bdcravens 9y ago
    So would the Marvel Cinematic Universe series be a show or movies? How about James Bond?
    - pfisch 9y ago
      TV show episodes aren't released years apart. TV seasons are.
      - bdcravens 9y ago
        MCU releases "episodes" every few months
        pfisch 9y ago
        They release less than 2 a year most years
- titanomachy 9y ago
  If this is sarcasm, it's very subtle and the point is lost on me.
  - B1FF_PSUVM 9y ago
    You may find this informative, if you have a couple of minutes to spare: https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Transformation+of+Quantitative+Into+Qualitative+Changes https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Transformation+o... (or some other hit on "quantitative change leads to qualitative change")
  - debt 9y ago
    A film requires an extremely large format display. Not a small high definition display. Ideally it'd be a large, high definition display. How a film is displayed informs how the film is shot. The same would go for audio as well. How the audio is heard informs how the audio is mixed and mastered. Not to be condescending, but it's really not hard to understand. People don't make films to be shown on a phone for instance. Or if they do make films to be shown on a phone, then it's not a film they'll be making.
- rblatz 9y ago
  Being in a room with sticky floors and rude people that can’t put their phone down doesn’t some how elevate art.
jogjayr 9y ago
Wait wait...French law as in law by the French government? You get hit wit fines by the government if you defy it? Or an industry norm like "If you allow streaming within 36 months of a theatrical release we won't talk to you/union workers won't work for you/no awards for you"? If it's an actual law, that sounds utterly absurd. Good on Netflix for not playing ball.
- valinor4 9y ago
  Yes, it is an actual law made to protect theaters and the movie industry. More information on it: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronologie_des_m%C3%A9dias https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronologie_des_m%C3%A9dias
- boudin 9y ago
  To be a bit more precise, the law on it self doesn't define the delays between different media releases, it only enforce those. Delays are defined by agreement between the different industry actors. I guess that the fact there's no big French streaming company make those delays quite unbalanced in favor of movies theatres and tv channels (that often produce movies released in theatres)
- namdnay 9y ago
  Welcome to France :) We have laws on the percentage of "foreign" music you are allowed to play on radio stations (to fight against the evil english language), laws that prevent TV channels from playing films on friday or saturday evening (to protect those poor cinemas), laws that govern the number of pharmacies by number of inhabitants and disallow ownership of multiple pharmacies or ownership by non-pharmacists (to protect them against the great evil that is competition)...
  - majewsky 9y ago
    > laws that govern the number of pharmacies by number of inhabitants and disallow ownership of multiple pharmacies or ownership by non-pharmacists While that seems a bit over the top, I find the part where it must be owned by a pharmacist quite reasonable. It's the same in Germany.

azemetre 9y ago

Cannes is mostly about having a venue for film makers to find distributors, Netflix films already have a distributor (it's Netflix). It's equivalent to asking why The Last Jedi or Black Panther aren't allowed to enter the competition.

thaumasiotes 9y ago
> It's equivalent to asking why The Last Jedi or Black Panther aren't allowed to enter the competition. ...Why aren't they? I don't know the answer, but I suspect it isn't the same thing that's blocking Netflix.
- azemetre 9y ago
  Because those movies already have distributors... Netflix is a distributor. Netflix submitting films is cheating because they are using the festival not only as free advertising for their platform but it also goes against the spirit of the festival where film makers can showcase their work and easily have distributors buy their work. No one is stopping Netflix from buying films showcased at Cannes, in fact that is highly encouraged (for anyone buying, at that) but for them to act like they are being mistreated is border line stupid. Especially coming from one of the largest tech and media companies in the world. Major multinational corporations that act like the world is against them really rubs me the wrong way and for multinational corporations to take advantage of an extremely empowering art festival is even more sleazy.
  - thaumasiotes 9y ago
    Are you getting this from somewhere? Cannes has this to say about itself: > What is the mission of the Festival de Cannes? > In order to achieve this level of longevity, the Festival de Cannes has remained faithful to its founding purpose: to draw attention to and raise the profile of films, with the aim of contributing towards the development of cinema, boosting the film industry worldwide and celebrating cinema at an international level. And to this day, this profession of faith constitutes the first article of the Festival regulations. ( http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/qui-sommes-nous/festival-de-cannes-1 http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/qui-sommes-nous/festival-d... ) > The spirit of the Festival de Cannes is one of friendship and universal cooperation. Its aim is to reveal and focus attention on works of quality in order to contribute to the evolution of motion picture arts and encourage the development of the film industry throughout the world. ( http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/participer/rules?id=2 http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/participer/rules?id=2 ) The criteria for eligibility are that the film was produced within the previous 12 months, that it hasn't been released internationally, that it hasn't been submitted to any rival international film festivals, and that, if chosen, the film will be released in French theaters in accordance with French law. Netflix is blocked by that last one, because the French law of cinematic releases says you can't stream them. I don't see what would block Marvel films if they wanted to enter, though.