High Heels Controversy Hits Cannes Film Festival

There’s a storm brewing at Cannes Film Festival and, for once, it’s not about Lars Von Trier.

Reports coming out of the international festival suggest that female festivalgoers were denied access to the red carpet for the premiere of ‘Carol’ saying a “handful of women in their fifties were turned away from the screening” because their shoes weren’t “tall” enough.

- Jaden Smith’s Ridiculous Prom Outfit
- George Miller Promises Mad Max Sequels
- Amazing R2-D2 Camper Van

Industry mag Screen says the festival responded by telling them it is “obligatory for all women to wear high heels to red-carpet screenings” regardless of their age or medical condition.

Asif Kapadia, the director of the Amy Winehouse documentary ‘Amy’ that debuted at the festival, says his wife was one of the people initially turned away by festival staff for not wearing appropriate footwear, but she was “eventually let in”.

The policy has provoked a considerable backlash at the festival which has made a major effort this year to address the gender imbalance of the film industry.

Emmanuelle Bercot’s ‘La Tete Haute’ became the first female-directed film to open the festival since 1987, while Todd Hayne’s ‘Carol’, which debuted to rapturous applause on the Croisette, has been praised for its strong feminist message.

The cast of Denis Villeneuve’s new film ‘Sicario’ took a swipe at the festival organisers’ “no flats” policy earlier today during their press conference when stars Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin told journalists they were planning to wear high heels on the red carpet for their film’s premiere.

Their co-star Emily Blunt had another suggestion commenting: “I think everyone should wear flats.”

- Salma Hayek Blasts Hollywood Sexism 
- Most Shocking Cannes Moments
- Blanchett Denies Lesbian Quotes

Image credits: Rex Features