Boots Riley isn’t losing sleep over Cannes. On May 24, the filmmaker confirmed publicly that the film festival passed on every project he’s ever submitted, including his newly released crime comedy I Love Boosters.
Riley was asked on X why he chose to premiere I Love Boosters at SXSW over Cannes. He confirmed that Cannes rejected the film, as well as several of his previous works. And he answered with a short and snappy comment.
“Cannes didn’t pick Sorry To Bother You altho they picked other stuff that had been played in their home country. They picked The Idol over I’m A Virgo. They didn’t pick I Love Boosters. They just don’t like my stuff. All good,”
Riley wrote on X
The Idol comparison is the sharpest part. The Idol premiered out-of-competition at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2023, where the series received a five-minute standing ovation. It is considered a normal to lukewarm audience reaction at the festival. The series was widely panned upon its release and was cancelled after one season in August 2023. Meanwhile, I’m a Virgo premiered that same year and was met with critical acclaim.
Cannes gave the red carpet to a show that got pulled after five episodes…
You could not ignore that contrast. Cannes gave a red carpet to a show that got pulled after five episodes, while Riley’s surrealist Amazon series sat on the sidelines. Whether that reflects a deeper bias or just programming taste is a fair question, and one Riley seems done asking.
His 2018 dark comedy feature Sorry to Bother You premiered at Sundance where it received the Sundance Institute’s Vanguard Award. Even with that kind of festival credibility behind him, Cannes still passed.
With I Love Boosters now in cinemas, Riley has been busy promoting the crime comedy. The film boasts stars like Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, and LaKeith Stanfield. I Love Boosters opened wide over the Memorial Day holiday frame with a roughly $20 million budget, making it Neon’s most expensive film it had ever produced.
I Love Boosters is doing great at the box office
Neon’s I Love Boosters grossed an estimated $3.72 million from 1,750 locations, putting it at No. 8 for the 3-day weekend. The distributor is projecting $4.57 million over the four-day holiday frame. Critics have been kinder than opening weekend crowds. I Love Boosters premiered to strong reviews in March at the 2026 SXSW festival and currently holds a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
None of that will land at Cannes, and Riley clearly made peace with that long ago. There’s something refreshing about a filmmaker who can shrug off one of the most powerful festivals in the world. Then keep on moving. The “all good” at the end of his post wasn’t sarcasm. It read like someone who has genuinely stopped waiting for that particular door to open.
The specific friction in Riley’s post is selection power. Cannes can still say no to a filmmaker with a Sundance award and a cast including Palmer, Ackie, and Stanfield.The festival can also reject a studio-backed release that already went out wide for Memorial Day. That says something, though exactly what is still up for debate.
