Cannes Film Festival bans artists from taking selfies on the red carpet

One of the biggest changes at this year's Cannes Film Festival is the ban on selfies on the red carpet. In previous years, the organizers have reminded guests not to take photos with their phones because it would cause chaos and prolong the red carpet, but no one paid attention to this so this year they decided to officially ban it.

"You don't come to Cannes to look at yourself, you come to see a film. Someone always looks really ugly when taking a selfie," explains Thierry Fremaux, president of the festival. He also highlights another reason: "It's a technical issue. It takes too long to walk on the red carpet when they take a selfie and people can fall because they're not paying attention."

The pen of the newspaperVarietyThe red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony this year "had a less festive atmosphere than usual, less like a fun party and more like a Sunday school class where students (all in tuxedos) could be punished for stepping out of line. Guests were not only banned from taking selfies, but also from taking pictures of their friends," the reporter reported. Security guards were stationed at every corner of the red carpet and rushed to chase anyone holding a phone with the intention of taking a photo. "When I got to the red carpet and tried to send a tweet, a security guard came up to me, grabbed my shoulder, asked for my ticket and told me to put my phone down," the reporter shared.

Hundreds of guests on opening night tried to comply with this new rule, and only when they entered the lobby of the Lumier theater did many dare to take photos. However, some less famous artists abroad still secretly took selfies, such as Miss China Xing Xiaohong. Xiaohong was lucky not to be "chased" off the red carpet as ordered.

Another big change to the Cannes Film Festival this year is that there will be no advance screenings for the press and film critics as usual. The screenings will take place simultaneously with the film's premiere at the Lumier Theatre. The festival's president explained that this new rule will prevent moviegoers from being influenced by journalists' opinions of the film. In addition, filmmakers and cast members will be more comfortable appearing on the red carpet without the film being "dissected" by the press.