The Cannes Film Festival is known for glamour, standing ovations, and cinematic prestige but over the decades, it has also become a magnet for scandals and headline-making drama.
From political protests to shocking fashion statements, Cannes has seen its fair share of controversies that nearly overshadowed the films themselves.
Following are the biggest controversies of the annual fundraiser event.
The 1968 Festival Shutdown
One of the most historic Cannes controversies happened in 1968 when filmmakers, including Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, halted the festival in solidarity with student protests and labour strikes sweeping across France.
Directors physically stopped screenings by hanging from the theatre curtains, forcing organisers to cancel the festival entirely before awards were handed out.
Tarantino gives a heckler the finger, 1994
Cannes has developed a reputation for being a place where audiences are free to express their opinions, and filmmakers are free to express them back.
A perfect illustration is when Pulp Fiction won the coveted Palme d’Or in 1994, to thunderous applause.
As the clapping died down, a single female voice called out "Quelle daube! Mais quelle daube! Putain, fait chier!" (Roughly "What a load of crap! What a load of crap! F*****g hell, this is annoying!") Tarantino responded by flipping her the bird.
Sophie Marceau goes off-script and off-stage, 1999
If Cannes loves anything more than applauding, it’s booing. This, it turns out, is not solely limited to the films.
In 1999, Sophie Marceau strolled out to present the Palme d’Or to the Dardenne brothers for their film Rosetta, and ended up embarking on a directionless, ad-libbed speech that went on for two minutes and contained surprisingly few completed sentences
Netflix vs. Cannes
In 2017, the arrival of Netflix films at Cannes ignited a fierce debate about the future of cinema.
Traditionalists argued that streaming movies did not belong at a theatrical festival.
After controversy surrounding films like Okja, Cannes eventually changed its rules, requiring competition films to receive French theatrical releases.
The Red Carpet Dress Code Debate
Cannes has repeatedly faced criticism for its strict red carpet fashion rules.
In 2015, reports emerged that several women were denied entry to premieres for not wearing high heels.
The backlash online was immediate, with many accusing the festival of sexism. Celebrities, including Julia Roberts, later walked the red carpet barefoot in apparent protest.
Selfie Ban
In 2018, Cannes introduced a controversial "selfie ban" on the red carpet.
Festival director Thierry Frémaux argued selfies slowed down the event and damaged its elegance.
Critics, however, saw the rule as outdated and overly elitist in the age of social media.
Despite the scandals, Cannes remains the world’s most talked-about film festival. In many ways, the controversies have become part of its identity, proving that at Cannes, drama doesn’t stop when the credits roll.
