Twitter Reacts to TikTok Becoming an Official Partner of Cannes Film Festival

Summary:

The prestigious Cannes Film Festival, known for its exclusivity, surprised many by partnering with TikTok for exclusive access and a short film competition.

Mixed responses to the news on Twitter highlight a debate between accessibility and prestige, with users nominating humorous and viral videos.

TikTok’s in-app competition at Cannes, judged by a renowned director, raises questions about the potential impact of meme culture on meaningful cinema.

The Cannes Film Festival, which takes place in late spring every year in the French city of Cannes, is considered one of the most prestigious festivals in the film industry. The festival is known for its lack of antics: people can attend by invite only and in 2018, selfies were banned from its red carpet because they “tarnish the quality” of the event.

And so the following news is somewhat surprising. Last week, TikTok became the official partner of the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, set to occur from May 17 to May 28. The platform will be given exclusive red carpet and backstage access to the event in the hopes of drawing more attention to the festival.

In addition to this content, TikTok will also be launching an in-app competition under the hashtag #TikTokShortFilm, where short films between the lengths of 30 seconds and 3 minutes will be judged by a jury. According to a Variety article, the jury will be headed by a “well-known” director, whose name will be announced at a later point. Three winning videos will be awarded during the festival.

This news has received mixed responses from Twitter users. Some rightfully point out that this move makes the previously-exclusive festival more accessible, while others argue that it makes it less prestigious. They have taken time to nominate their favorites.

This nominee is a joke video that went viral late last year: