You've probably, like many other people, been going to the movies less often in recent years. The reasons for this range from the ease of watching quality films in the comfort of your home, to the costs of gas, parking, tickets, popcorn, and soda.
Nowadays, you can access a huge library of movies, refreshed monthly, for a small monthly fee. Streaming services have become a threat to movie theaters.
The most popular of these services is Netflix. After refusing to screen its films in French theaters, Netflix had its productions banned from competing for the Palme d'Or.
This year, the festival decided to accept only entries from works willing to be shown in French theaters. After the harsh criticism over the inclusion of two Netflix films* in the 2017 festival, the event's head, Thierry Frémaux, made it clear that the company may take part in screenings if it wishes, but it is not eligible to enter for the award.
The decision came days after renowned director Steven Spielberg stated, in an interview with ITV News, that Netflix films shouldn't be eligible for the Oscars:
“Once you commit to a television format, you're a TV movie. If it's a good show, you certainly deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar,” Spielberg confided. “I don't believe films that receive token qualifications in a couple of theaters for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.”
So, the road for Netflix and other streaming service productions toward recognition by traditional cinema is likely to be a long one.
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*Okja and The Meyerowitz Stories
