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Netflix snaps up two Cannes award winners despite feud
Just because Netflix couldn't compete at Cannes doesn't mean it's leaving the film festival empty-handed. The streaming video service has acquired the North American and Latin American rights to two Cannes award winners, Alice Rohrwacher's Happy as Lazzaro (that's Rohrwacher pictured above) and Lukas Dhont's Girl. Lazzaro took home a Best Screenplay award for its story of a naively good man roped into faking someone's kidnapping, while Girl won the Camera d'Or (best first film), Best Actor and Queer Palm awards for its story of a transgender teen ballerina struggling to fit in.
Netflix won’t be going to Cannes after all
Netflix won't be screening anything at Cannes this year, either in or out of competition. Despite debuting two titles last year, the first streaming provider to do so at the prestigious film festival, the backlash has been significant. The new rule banning any movie from competition that didn't have a theatrical run was a clear message: Streaming content creators weren't welcome.
Netflix will premiere movies at Cannes for the first time
After years of ignoring streaming services, Cannes is finally recognizing both Netflix and Amazon's original work. With several Amazon funded-movies debuting at last year's event, Cannes' 2017 programme reveals that Netflix original movies will also finally be joining the festival. Netflix will be premiering The Meyerowitz Stories at the festival, starring Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller. It will also be debuting Okja for the first time, Netflix's new Korean-directed monster movie featuring Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal. Amazon movies will be featured for a second year, with Wonderstuck and You Were Never Really Here getting first screenings.
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.
