The Netflix film Okja had been booed during its screening on the second day of the Cannes Film Festival.
The film, which is one of two Netflix movies nominated for the festivals Palme d’Or award, received a negative reception upon the Netflix logo appearing at the film’s start.
Jeering then continued for the first ten minutes of the film, as audience members realised that it was being projected in the wrong screen ratio. At the ten minute mark the film was stopped and restarted in the right format.
A second round of booing then ensued when the streaming company’s logo was shown for the again, but was also accompanied by applause from other viewers.
This has occurred only a day after Cannes jury members Will Smith and Pedro Almodóvar clashed over Netflix’s place at the festival and whether their original movies should be nominated for awards. The Spanish filmmakers anti-Netflix comments must have struck a chord with the festival attendees, as Okja’s frosty reception come less than a day after his criticism of the streaming giant.
Okja, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Tilda Swinton has been positively received critically so far and its inclusion at the prestige festival is evidence of it’s quality. No doubt the debate over Netflix’s place at film festivals will go on, as they continue to produce more of their own high-budget, original content.
Check out a trailer for the Netflix produce Okja below:
