The rules for eligibility now state that a film must have a theatrical release in France to qualify, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
I’m sure the streaming services were chasing awards at Cannes just like at the Oscars, but now there will be no potential story of a Netflix film winning the Palme d’Or.
That means that the films can still be screened for festivalgoers but the Palme d’Or will be reserved for more traditional, theatrical releases.
This may seem rather drastic at first but to be clear, streaming services are not banned from the festival, those films will simply not be eligible to compete for the top prize.