Okja
You may have read online about the slight hiccup encountered at the very first screening of the very first Netflix movie at the Cannes Film Festival earlier today. Reports that the crowd booed as the Netflix logo came up are untrue, at least in the section where I was sat – all I heard were cheers, which actually surprised me considering the coverage of the streamer’s first attendance here in the south of France got prior to the festival.
The six minutes that kicked off the screening of Okja did attract jeers, hisses and boos purely because the projection was slightly off and heads were being cut off and, granted, there were some wiffs when the Netflix card appeared for the second time as the film was restarted, but make no mistake, Boon Jong Ho’s new film was met with rounds of applause eventually as the final credits rolled two hours later. I love the film and can’t wait for the world to see it next month (read our review here). It’s a perfect film for the streamer and we suggest that it only exists because of the Netflix model – a film with this much budget with its subject matter simply would not have received the green light from a Hollywood studio. It’s great.
While we await to see the reception at tonight’s premiere, here are some images from today’s photocall and press conference here in Cannes with the likes of Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Steven Yeun, Jake Gyllehaal and more in attendance.
Okja is released on Netflix and select cinemas from June 28th 2017.
Photocall
Press Conference
Click here for all of our coverage from Cannes 2017.
