A French director is suing the Cannes Film Festival for rejecting his work.
Paul Verhoeven, 73, who shares the same name as the famous Dutch director behind “Total Recall” and “Robocop,” claims that selectors rejected his film, “Teenagers,” because they were “homophobic,” The Telegraph reports.
The film, which covers a wide array of issues including terrorism, teen sexuality, homophobia and suicide, received poor reviews when it was released in 2009, Variety reports. It did, however, manage to win a few prizes at minor festivals around the world, including best narrative feature at the California Film Awards in 2011.
The trailer is below:
Verhoeven reportedly wants the festival to be forced to show his flick or pay for it to be screened in theaters. A ruling on the lawsuit is due later this month.
The claims of homophobia against the festival have come as a surprise to many Cannes regulars. Last year, British drama Pride debuted at the festival –- and went on to win the coveted Queer Palm -– while in 2013 the Palme d’Or was won by Blue is the Warmest Colour.
