Cannes Film Festival declares war on red carpet selfies

The 2015 Cannes Film Festival is going old-school as organizers clamp down on red carpet selfies.

A surge in selfies at red carpet events worldwide has irritated the festival which wants to keep the red carpet experience free from self-promoting picture taking. Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux stated that,

"We are waging a campaign to slow down the contemporary practice of selfies on the red carpet and the steps. Beyond what we think, it's a practice that's often extremely ridiculous and grotesque."

His comments may come as a surprise as one of the most successful selfies in history was this 'iconic' still from the Oscars last year, which received praise and huge international attention. (It was also turned into a parody.)

Many stars as well as fans over the years have taken pictures of themselves at events including in Cannes, but this year, it looks like mobiles could be banned from the red carpet altogether.

The Cannes Film Festival has a strict dress-code for red carpet attendees and screenings can get delayed by slow arrivals, however it may prove difficult to ban selfies completely from the festival palais. Are you going to take a selfie in Cannes?