For the second year in a row, Netflix has announced that it will not be showing any of its films at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. The battle between Netflix and Cannes speaks to a larger battle within the film community — Netflix’s desire for accessibility and individual expression versus the preservation of film culture and the theatrical experience on behalf of Cannes.

The point of Netflix submitting its films to prestigious festivals like Cannes is to win awards and get their titles more buzz and acclaim.

This battle started in 2017, when Netflix premiered two highly anticipated films, “The Meyerowitz Stories” and “Okja” at the festival, but released them directly to streaming services instead of giving them a theatrical release in France.

In retaliation, the festival declared that only films with a theatrical release could be eligible for the festival’s big prizes, adding that Netflix could still show films, but they would not be competing for any of the big awards.

In 2018, the company announced that it would not be showing any of its films in that year’s festival. With Netflix’s worldwide streaming services, they do not submit films to festivals to get films attention, as they already have a ready-made audience of subscribers.

In light of the Oscars, some devout traditionalist film fans began to argue that Netflix films should not be eligible for Academy Awards. Steven Spielberg has notably begun taking steps to make this a reality.

Ultimately, this is to preserve the theatrical experience. Cinemas are dying around the world, and in response, filmgoers are trying to make the experience of going to the cinema unique and irreplaceable. While this is a reasonable argument, it ignores the fact that some people do not have access to cinemas, or simply cannot afford to go very often.

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Streaming services are a much more affordable alternative to frequent $12 movie ticket purchases, and this allows filmmakers to show their art to a wider audience. Some filmmakers, though, would rather have their films seen by a limited audience on the big screen than by a wide audience on smaller screens, and this tension is causing problems for movie fans everywhere.

The theatrical experience is indeed a special one, but it’s special because film is special. If movie theaters have to die to preserve film, so be it. If this war wages on, filmmakers risk alienating their audiences and turning cinephilia into an elitist, exclusionary hobby.

Art is about having an effect on your audience and making people feel less alone, and that mission becomes more successful when your art can reach a wider audience. The tricky part, though, is that forgoing the theatrical experience for the streaming experience risks allowing corporate giants including Netflix and Amazon to control all film distribution. This isn’t any more conducive to art than gatekeeping it in the name of movie theaters.

The Netflix-Cannes debate reflects a larger crisis in the world of film, and one that doesn’t seem to be heading toward a solution any time soon. It’s worth keeping track and following the outcome of this battle, though, as it might reflect the outcome of the fate of film as a whole.

Published on March 25, 2019 at 9:53 pm