cannes film festival
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Netflix acquires Cannes Film Festival's Grand Prix winner
Netflix isn't done pushing back against Cannes for rejecting its movies -- if anything, it's escalating the fight. The company has acquired international rights for two winners at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, with its crown jewel being Mati Diop's Atlantics. The tale of a perilous love in Dakar won Cannes' Grand Prix, the second most prestigious award at the festival. It also stands out as Diop's first feature-length movie as well as the first movie helmed by a black woman to be in the running for the Palme d'Or.
'Too Old to Die Young' is the first streaming series to make it to Cannes
It's been one year since Netflix stirred up controversy around the Cannes Film Festival. For those who don't remember, when a new rule banned any movie from competition that didn't have a theatrical run, Netflix decided not to screen anything at all. Netflix won't return this year either, but it looks like Amazon may fill its shoes. According to Deadline, Amazon's new TV series Too Old to Die Young is expected at Cannes next month. That makes it only the third episodic series to screen at the high-brow festival and the very first streaming show to be invited.
Kane & Lynch movie poster seen at Cannes
The Kane & Lynch movie project appears to be moving smoothly -- it's to the "poster" stage already. Proving beyond a doubt that the casting is a "done deal"(as tweeted by writer Kyle Ward), Empire spotted a Kane & Lynch movie poster with billing for both Bruce Willis and Jamie Foxx at the Cannes Film Festival. This poster covers the entrance to the Majestic Hotel, making it look a bit more like the Tacky Hotel. According to Empire, the poster gives the film a 2011 date, but we don't see it. Perhaps it's behind that inconsiderately placed luggage cart. [Via Collider; thanks, Gimpygoat!]
Akamai delivers HD trailers to the Cannes Film Festival website
Some of the Engadget HD crew religiously plug their ears and shut their eyes tight during movie trailers, in hopes of avoiding any spoilers. The beautiful people at the Cannes Film Festival can't really follow this strategy for two reasons. First, it would end up as National Enquirer cover material; second, they actually rely on trailers to help them decide which flicks to sit in on. Nothing spoils the director's intent -- or gets viewers to click away -- faster than stuttering, pixelated video, so Akamai is promising to deliver the trailers to the festival website in 720p that flows as smoothly as the french Riviera; our own visits to the site seem to confirm that Akamai is holding true to its word. The festival is almost over, but you can still access content from throughout the festival on the website.
Harman scores hat trick at Cannes
We know the Cannes Film Festival is all about the celebs, but we're pretty big fans of the gear, too. And in that department, it looks like Harman International has scored again this year. Four screening rooms in the Hotel Gray d'Albion will be graced by JBL Synthesis SK2-1000 speakers and S1S-EX subs; a fifth screening room will be treated with JBL Project Array 1000 speakers and a 1500 Array sub. Rounding out the hat trick, Harman Kardon electronics and AKG headphones will be used in screening rooms and VOD booths at the festival. If you're going to Cannes (lucky dog), check out the Synthesis systems; if you're suitably impressed that you want to get a setup of your own (now we're drooling), you'll have to contact your regional Synthesis rep. Be prepared to give them the approximate volume of your listening room -- it'll help them point you towards a system.
