Cannes Film Festival Will Create Hotline for Reporting Sexual Misconduct

The French government will reportedly assist the Cannes Film Festival in creating a hotline for attendees to report sexual assault and harassment during the festival, which kicks off May 8.

Variety reports on the news, which comes via AFP, writing that French equality minister Marlene Schiappa announced that her office was working with the festival to protect all women, not just actresses, in the film industry. She also invoked Harvey Weinstein’s crimes, telling AFP, “One of the rapes that Harvey Weinstein is accused of happened at Cannes, and so the festival cannot not act.”

Several actresses and models, including Kadian Noble, Asia Argento, and Zoe Brock, have said that Weinstein assaulted and harassed them at past Cannes festivals. The festival has also come under fire in recent years for gender inequality, with women citing a lack of opportunities for female directors.