2015 Cannes Film Festival Dress Code Drama: Women Reportedly Turned Away From Premieres for Wearing Flats

Actresses sound off on reported heels only mandate in Cannes

By Nicole Adlman May 19, 2015 4:38 PMTags
Emily Blunt, Cannes 2015  Anthony Harvey/FilmMagic

To wear heels or not to wear heels—well...the latter might be out of the question in Cannes.

Women in attendance at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival are a bit heated over a purported heels-only rule for the festival's many glamorous premieres, as ScreenDaily first reported. The industry newspaper described a group of women in their 50s getting turned away from the premiere of Carol for not being properly, er, heeled for the event. Yes: These women were turned away for wearing flats. (Really, Cannes you believe it?)

Actress Emily Blunt sounded off on the controversy this morning when she stepped out for photocall (wearing a printed Peter Pilotto midi and citrine Jimmy Choo sandals): "I think everyone should wear flats, to be honest. We shouldn't wear high heels anymore," Blunt quipped, according to Variety. "That's just my point of view—I prefer to wear Converse sneakers."

Senna director Asif Kapadia even tweeted that his wife had initially been denied entry to a premiere over her footwear (she was eventually allowed in).

While Cannes director Thierry Fremaux tweeted that the heelgate rumors were wholly "unfounded," ScreenDaily reported that festival officials confirmed that it is "obligatory for all women to wear high-heels to red-carpet screenings." Oy.

Needless to say, it's 2015: Women should be allowed to attend formal events in flats if they so choose. (Maybe the precedent would be different if it were obligatory for men to totter down the carpet in four-inch stilettos.) While we enjoy seeing daring heels on leading ladies, it wouldn't be as fun to fawn over those shoes if we had to think of them as, well, a festival requirement.

What do you think about the heels controversy in Cannes?

PHOTOS: Celeb shoes that made the outfit