CANNES, France (AP) – As the Cannes Film Festival gets set to open, two trends seem clear: The women are coming – and the selfies are going.
Festival chief Thierry Fremaux has fielded questions about female directors and self-photography since he announced the lineup last month – and revealed that he considered selfies the “ridiculous” scourge of the red carpet.
The festival that mixes Hollywood heavy-hitters and art-house auteurs kicks off Wednesday with French director Emmanuelle Bercot’s “Standing Tall” – the first time in more than 25 years that a female filmmaker has taken the prestigious opening slot.
Fremaux, who has overseen the festival since 2001, knows the choice won’t silence criticism of an event that remains – like the film industry – male-dominated. There are only two women among the 19 directors competing this year for Cannes’ top prize, the Palme d’Or, although there are more among the scores of other films screening at the 12-day festival.
Fremaux insists “it’s not totally true” that women are underrepresented at Cannes.