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All that glitters at Cannes isn’t gold
Influencers and insiders call out the rise of fraudulent access and the myth of buying your way into the world’s most prestigious film festival.
The Cannes Film Festival has taken over social media feeds once again. Held this year from May 12 to May 23, the festival continues to represent the pinnacle of cinematic prestige. This time, however, beyond the glamour and carefully curated red carpet moments, a more troubling narrative has begun to surface.
The red carpet con
Pankhuri Harikrishnan, founder of Fetch, a PR agency, took to her Instagram Stories to call out what she describes as a growing scam ecosystem operating around the Cannes Film Festival.
In her Stories, she wrote, "I've been called by various individuals who have been promised carpets and after they have landed in Cannes, the organisers have vanished. I want to know who are these organisers? What is their credibility? How have people trusted them? Also why do these people want to be on the Cannes red carpet in the first place?"
This was also re-shared by online fashion watchdog Diet Sabya, who commented, "Basically Cannes in India is finally giving that one scam phone call where they try to digitally arrest you."
What an influencer witnessed at Cannes
Content creator Tarini Peshawaria, who attended the festival four years ago, recently shared a video narrating how she had to pay a photographer to capture her on the red carpet. She said, "The red carpet is literally 1-2 minutes long and the carpet is not the same for everyone. Not every photographer clicks your picture because they don't know you. I paid 400 euros (approximately ₹44,499) for 7 videos and 7 photos."
The video fetched over 3.9 million views. Actor Sameera Reddy commented, "Such a refreshing post about the experience. Real and raw." Another user wrote, "You are recovering from 400 euros while staying in a 1000 euro hotel." A second user said, "Finally someone who showed the real side of Cannes."
Who actually attends Cannes
At its core, the Cannes Film Festival does not operate on open invitations. Entry is governed by a strict accreditation system that is reserved for official selections, industry professionals and accredited press. Luxury brands also sponsor celebrities and creators to represent them on the red carpet. There is no legitimate ‘buy your way onto the red carpet’ pipeline.
