Unusual red carpet rule even celebrities have to stick to at Cannes
An unusual ban in place at one of Hollywood’s biggest events has just been brazenly flouted by a pack of A-listers.
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When it comes to social rules, there usually seems to be a fair bit of leeway given to Hollywood’s elite.
But in 2018, when Cannes Film Festival’s artistic director, Thierry Frémaux, announced a firm ban on selfies on their red carpets, claiming they “tarnished” the atmosphere (and created human traffic jams on the iconic staircase of the Grand Théâtre Lumière), no one was immune.
A fleet of very stern security guards are on hand to ensure people keep moving, doling out serious warnings where necessary – and harnessing the power to remove anyone who disobeys the rules.
Given the very nature of a red carpet is maximum photographic exposure, it was an unusual decision – and just another reason the French Riviera’s film extravaganza is one of the industry’s most unique events.
And the no-selfie decision has been brought back into the spotlight again this week thanks to a very high-profile flouting of that rule during this year’s festival.
As a crowd of thousands descended on the main theatre for the Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning gala premiere, director Christopher McQuarrie and actors Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Zhen Lei and Greg Tarzan Davis made a point of stopping several times to take a group selfie.
In a nod to their awareness of the bold red carpet misdemeanour, the image was uploaded to Instagram with the caption: “Mission: Selfie. Accomplished.”
The photo policy is not the only strict rule being enforced at the festival, with organisers announcing just hours out from opening night that the dress code had been updated to rule out the trend of dresses featuring “nudity” and also “voluminous” ensembles.
“For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as in any other area of the festival,” the updated policy read.
“Voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train, that hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theatre are not permitted.
“The festival welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit red carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules.”
Actress Halle Berry was the first to fall victim to the announcement.
She admitted to press that she’d had to make a last-minute outfit swap after hearing the news.
“I had an amazing dress by [Gaurav] Gupta to wear tonight, and I cannot wear it because the train’s too big,” Berry, who is a festival jury member this year, said at a news conference.
“I had to make a pivot. But the nudity part I do think is probably also a good rule.”
Originally published as Unusual red carpet rule even celebrities have to stick to at Cannes
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