Cannes bannes* selfies and flats

With Hollywood descending onto the red carpets of the 68th Cannes International Film Festival, the organisers have stirred up controversy first by banning stars from taking selfies, then reportedly turning women away from screenings because they weren’t wearing high heels.

Festival director Thierry Frémaux, who first introduced the ‘unofficial’ selfie ban at an event last month revealing this year’s festival programme, described the practise of selfie-taking as “ridiculous and grotesque” and complained that it “really slows things down”.

Frémaux added “You’ll never look as ugly as you do in a selfie”. Security guards have apparently been instructed to hand out “serious warning[s]”, but aren’t going so far as to confiscate phones from any rogue selfie-takers.

The festival has also faced backlash after barring women from entering a film screening for not wearing high heels. A group of women were turned away from a screening of Todd Haynes’ lesbian romance film Carol, according to Screen magazine.

The women, some of whom reportedly cannot wear heels due to medical conditions, were denied entry to the event despite wearing ‘smart’ rhinestone-studded shoes. The festival declined to comment on the incident, but confirmed that women are obligated to wear high heels to red-carpet screenings.

Asif Kapadia, director of the highly anticipated Amy Winehouse documentary Amy, tweeted that his wife had also been turned away from a festival event, though she was “eventually let in”.

Film producer Valeria Richter, who has had part of her left foot amputated, also claimed to have been stopped “four times” by staff at the premier for The Sea of Trees. She said “We put on the dress and make an effort to be formal and festive, but to demand heels is not right”.

Another Cannes regular stated “I’ve heard this happening several times now. It’s bullshit. Someone I know was turned away for wearing nice flats, nothing you would wear to the beach. They were in their 50s. They told her she could go and buy appropriate shoes and come back”.

However, Thierry Frémaux later tweeted “The rumour saying the festival insists on high heels for women on the red carpet is unfounded”.

*Yes, this is a pun. Deal with it. -Ed.