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Will Smith clashes with jury president over Netflix at Cannes Film Festival

Will Smith clashed with jury president Pedro Almodovar over Netflix at Cannes Film Festival.

For the first time, two Netflix films are competing for the coveted Palme d’Or prize this year.

However from next year, films will have to be released in French cinemas if they want to be considered.

Jury president Pedro Almodovar agreed with the change, saying films should always be seen on the big screen and he was “concerned” about the issue – but Will Smith disagreed.

Cinema: Director Pedro Almodovar believes all nominations should be shown in the cinema | YOUTUBE

Okja, a Tilda Swinton film, and The Meyerowitz Stories – starring British actress Emma Thompson and Ben Stiller – are the first Netflix films to be shown at Cannes which are up for the main prize.

Pedro Almodovar gave a passionate defence of cinema at the festival’s opening press conference, saying he didn’t think films should be considered for prizes if they had not had a cinema release.

Reading from a statement, he said, “All this doesn’t mean I’m not open, or don’t celebrate the new technology and the possibilities they offer to us.

“But while I’m alive, I will be fighting for the one thing the new generation is not aware of – the capacity of hypnosis of a large screen for a viewer.”

Connectivity: Will believes Netflix is a benefit, and shouldn’t need to be shown in cinemas | ATLAS ENTERTAINMENT 

But Hitch star Will Smith disagreed, saying, “There’s very little cross between going to the cinema and watching what they watch on Netflix.”

He also said they were “two different forms of entertainment” and that Netflix “brings a great amount of connectivity”.

“In my home, Netflix has been nothing but an absolute benefit. [They] watch films they otherwise wouldn’t have seen. It has broadened my children’s global cinematic comprehension.”

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