iWorld
Netflix pulls out of Cannes Film Festival
MUMBAI: Putting an end to speculation, Netflix has confirmed that it would pull out of the Cannes Film Festival entirely. The streaming giant won’t bring any film to the esteemed film festival following a rule change. In an interview with Variety, the company’s chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, spoke about the decision.
Last year, Netflix came to the festival with two movies Bong Joon-ho’s Okja and Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories. French theatre owners did not take it very well and protested the inclusion of these movies as the law in the country requires movies to not appear in home platforms for 36 months after their theatrical release. The rule is contradictory to Netflix’s day-on-date release.
In addition to that, a new rule from this year imposes a ban on any film in the competition without theatrical distribution in France from playing. Though Netflix could screen films out of competition, Sarandos says that doesn’t make sense for the company.
“There’s a risk in us going in this way and having our films and filmmakers treated disrespectfully at the festival. They’ve set the tone. I don’t think it would be good for us to be there,” he said. He also said that the new rule was implicitly about Netflix.
“We loved the festival. We love the experience for our filmmakers and for film lovers. It’s just that the festival has chosen to celebrate distribution rather than the art of cinema,” he added later.
Though Sarandos himself won’t attend the festivals, some employees from the company will be there to acquire films among the bunch that would be there without distribution.
Also Read :
Netflix to boycott Cannes Film Festival 2018?
Localised content the way forward for Netflix in India
Gaming
Interio by Godrej partners with FAU-G Bharat League 2.0 Finals
Furniture brand showcases ergonomic gaming chairs at major Mumbai esports event.
MUMBAI: Interio by Godrej has levelled up its game, this time by giving India’s competitive gamers a comfortable place to sit while they dominate the leaderboard. The leading furniture brand from Godrej Enterprises Group collaborated with Dot9 Games for the FAU-G Bharat League 2.0 Finals held in Mumbai. The offline tournament brought together over 100 competitive players for intense esports action.
As part of the partnership, Interio by Godrej showcased its specially designed ergonomic gaming chair, engineered to support long hours of gameplay with superior posture support, comfort, and overall wellbeing. Players got to experience the chairs first-hand during the high-intensity matches.
The event was graced by movie superstar and OG Khiladi Akshay Kumar, who felicitated the winners, adding star power and highlighting the growing mainstream appeal of esports in India.
Interio by Godrej head of marketing communications Reshu Saraf said the collaboration was driven by the evolving needs of India’s gaming community. “Players are investing significant time and skill into their setups. We wanted to show how thoughtful furniture design can enhance the overall gaming experience without compromising on comfort,” she noted.
Dot9 Games co-founder & CEO Deepak Ail added that comfort and physical wellbeing are becoming essential for sustained performance in competitive gaming. “Interio by Godrej’s gaming chairs added real value to the experience at the finals,” he said.
Beyond the event, Interio extended exclusive discounts on the gaming chairs to FAU-G players across its database to improve accessibility for the community.
This partnership reflects Interio by Godrej’s strategy to design products that respond to modern lifestyle shifts while strengthening its presence in India’s fast-growing esports ecosystem.
When gamers spend hours locked in battle, the right chair can mean the difference between victory and back pain. Interio by Godrej has clearly understood the assignment and delivered a comfortable win for players and the brand alike.
