Cannes Flatgate: 11 Outrageous Reactions to Red Carpet High-Heel Drama

From men vowing to wear stilettos to serious accusations of sexism, see the best Twitter responses to the red-carpet controversy that’s caught festival officials flat-footed

Buzzy films usually generate the heat at the Cannes Film Festival, but on Tuesday festival-goers and users were boiling on social media over a strictly enforced dress-code policy — one requiring women attending gala screenings at the Grand Palais to wear high heels.

At Sunday night’s showing of festival sensation “Carol,” some women were turned away for wearing flats on the red carpet, according to a report in Screen International and a first-hand account from Asif Kapadia, the director of the Amy Winehouse documentary “Amy.”

Festival director Thierry Fremaux denied that there was any dress code on the red carpet, tweeting, “The rumor that the Festival requires high heels for women on the steps is unfounded.” Twitter wasn’t really having it. The resulting revolt saw women and men half-outraged, half-amused.

“Emily Blunt wore heels but as a feminist film lover myself, I wore FLATS to the Palais tonight #cannes2015 #flatgate,” wrote Wendy Mitchell, the former editor-in-chief of Screen International and current film program manager for the British Film Council.

“Women should boycott #Cannes next year. Heel mandate is offensive,” wrote @Tmtweets.

At a press conference for drug cartel drama “Sicario,” star Emily Blunt addressed the policy: “”I think everyone should wear flats, to be honest. We shouldn’t wear high heels anymore.” Rumor spread that her director, Denis Villeneuve, and costars Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro would hit the Palais carpet in high heels to support her.

“If Benicio and Josh really wear high heels on Cannes red carpet, it won’t be a first for a Blunt co-star. (Oh that Tom!)” wrote @DavidPoland, presumably referring to Tom Cruise, Blunt’s costar in “Edge Of Tomorrow.”

Rocker Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 jumped in on the joke:

Other relevant weigh-ins from the Twittersphere include:

The fashion community even piped in with more practical solutions:

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