The Cannes Film Festival will join forces with the French government to prevent sexual harassment at the prestigious event in the wake of the #MeToo movement that rocked the entertainment industry.
France’s gender equality minister, Marlène Schiappa, announced Friday at a press conference in Paris the decision to open a sexual harassment hotline for attendees of the festival, which kicks off next month, AFP reported. Cautionary flyers will also be distributed warning guests of the legal repercussions of harassment, Schiappa added, though no additional details on the phone line were given.
The move is especially pertinent to Cannes as mega-producer Harvey Weinstein, the catalyst of the #MeToo movement, was accused of assaulting women at the festival in previous years.
“One of the rapes that Harvey Weinstein is accused of happened at Cannes, and so the festival cannot fail to act,” Schiappa said, referring to allegations from actress Asia Argento.
Earlier this month, Cannes artistic director Thierry Fremaux said the festival would review its practices, saying, “The Cannes Film Festival will never be the same again,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Cannes opens on May 8 and runs until the 19th.
