Cannes Sticking To No Selfies Policy As Meta Joins As New Sponsor

Meta might be bringing the social media influencers and content creators to Cannes in a new partnership, but don’t expect the festival to lift its ban on selfies at red carpet premieres.

Asked today by Deadline about whether there will be a pivot in its no selfies policy due to Meta, Cannes Film Festival Director Thierry Frémaux said, “I’ll respond immediately on the selfies — No.”  

How’s that? Essentially when it comes to the creative management of the festival and sponsorship, it’s a church and state situation.

“I don’t deal with those issues,” said Frémaux, “We try to keep economic constraints separate from the artistic side to keep us free and independent.”

Frémaux added that no sponsor had ever imposed itself on the festival evoking the case of L’oreal which is a sponsor. Frémaux said there was no problem with the selected picture La Femme Plus Riche du Monde (The Richest Woman in the World) which was loosely based on the Bettancourt affair, L’Oréal’s largest shareholder Liliane Bettencourt.

However, there could be a way around the whole no selfies policy — if you’re wearing Meta glasses, wink wink. In a first at this year’s fest, TikTok star Reece Feldman will be conducting red carpet interviews via his Ray-Ban Meta glasses as a reporter for Meta.

Cannes began enforcing no selfies at red carpet premieres in 2018. Try taking a photo of yourself or with others and you’ll draw shouts from festival security or even worse.

It was made official today that Cannes’ inked a multi-year deal with Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and What’s App. The tech giant will be based out of the Majestic Hotel during the fest, promoting its platforms, AI and wearable technologies. The Meta House will host such Gen Z stars as French filmmaker Enora Hope and fashion creator Lyas, Belgian photographer Bleg, Italian creator Matteo Varini, Spanish cinephile Ivan Hachez, London-based culture creator Zainab Jiwa, UK fashion voices Lola Clark and Victor Kunda, along with French basketball player Diamant Blazi.