The Cannes Film Festival seems to favor certain filmmakers over others. This isn’t to say the festival is somehow corrupt, but by and large, if you are successful at the event, then the folks at Cannes would love for you to come back with each new project. That is the case with filmmaker Jacques Audiard. But now, the director reveals that he has no interest going back to Cannes.
Audiard’s feelings about Cannes are interesting for a variety of reasons. Not only is the filmmaker French, and we all know how much Cannes favors homegrown talent, but he’s also had incredible success at the festival, winning a Palme d’Or in 2015 for his film “Dheepan,” winning the Grand Prix for “A Prophet” in 2010, and winning the Best Screenplay Award in 1996 for “A Self Made Hero.” And though he didn’t win any awards, his 2012 film “Rust and Bone” also premiered at Cannes. Needless to say, Audiard has been a staple at the festival for years.
But in a new interview with IndieWire, the director talked about his current feelings on film festivals, and Cannes specifically, as well as the idea of Netflix becoming the prime spot for filmmakers.
“I don’t feel a need to be there,” Audiard said about Cannes. When he was asked what would happen if Thierry Fremaux, the director of the film festival offered him a slot, the director said, “I will refuse it. I don’t really care if I go to Cannes or not.”
He continued, “I don’t want to be in competition anywhere.”
That being said, his latest film “The Sisters Brothers” was heavily speculated to be a Cannes premiere, but with the upcoming release date, the folks over at Annapurna thought the Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly film would play better at a fall festival, such as the Venice Film Festival. And despite the flimmaker’s apparent distaste for competition, Audiard’s film was a big hit in Venice, and the filmmaker left the festival with the Silver Lion for Best Director. So perhaps that self-imposed Cannes ban is a good idea?
And as he proved with his thoughts on Cannes, the filmmaker is quite outspoken. That comes into play when he’s asked about the recent influx of filmmakers making waves on Netflix, and how TIFF and Venice have welcomed those films with open arms, as Cannes infamously banned the streaming service.
READ MORE: Netflix May Have Lost The Cannes Battle But Got Sweet Revenge In Venice
“I don’t give a shit,” he said.
He goes on to explain his views on Netflix, “It’s always difficult to make films. The world is changing and I don’t know if people still want films. That’s the problem with Netflix. Are we talking about theaters or cinema when it’s on the tablet? That’s not cinema.”
We’ll see what the future holds for Audiard, as he makes his English-language debut with “The Sisters Brothers.” All eyes will be on what he does with his next film. But it appears that two things are for sure, Cannes and Netflix need not apply.
