Boots Riley says Cannes has passed on every one of his films: 'They just don't like my stuff'

Filmmaker and musician Boots Riley says the Cannes Film Festival has consistently passed on his work, including his latest feature, the heist comedy "I Love Boosters," which opened in U.S. theaters on May 22.

Responding to a question on X about why distributor Neon chose to launch the film at SXSW rather than Cannes, Riley said the decision was driven by the French festival's programming choices rather than the distributor's strategy. He noted that his 2018 directorial debut "Sorry to Bother You" premiered at Sundance after Cannes declined it, and his 2023 surrealist Amazon series "I'm a Virgo" was also passed over. Cannes instead programmed "The Idol," the Sam Levinson series, that year, Riley said.

"They just don't like my stuff. All good," he wrote, closing out the thread.

The comments came as Neon claimed its seventh consecutive Palme d'Or on Saturday with the drama "Fjord," extending an unprecedented run for the independent distributor. Riley's remarks implied Neon could have had a second high-profile title in this year's Cannes lineup had the festival been receptive.

"I Love Boosters" is Riley's second feature and stars Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González and LaKeith Stanfield. The film follows a Robin Hood-style crew that lifts luxury fashion from wealthy retailers and resells it at steep discounts, framing the heists as a critique of consumer culture. Variety's review described the movie as a playful and provocative satire.

Neither Neon nor the Cannes Film Festival had responded to requests for comment at publication time. Riley, best known outside film as the frontman of the political hip-hop group The Coup, has built his cinematic career on absurdist, politically charged comedy aimed at corporate and class structures.