The red carpet protest was organised by 5050×2020, a collective that seeks to address gender disparity in the film industry.
Eighty two women working in the film industry, including Cate Blanchett, Ava DuVernay and Jane Fonda have taken to the Cannes red carpet in silent protest at the lack of female directors at the festival.
At a press conference on Monday, festival director Thierry Fremaux said that Cannes would look to select a higher proportion of films directed by women in future.
The official selection for this year’s festival, meanwhile, features three films directed by women out of a total 21, a figure that has prompted widespread criticism.