Filmmaker and musician Boots Riley says Cannes passed on his film “I Love Boosters,” along with several of his earlier projects. In a response posted on X, Riley said he chose to premiere “I Love Boosters” at SXSW rather than Cannes, and attributed the decision to the festival’s prior rejections. According to the accounts, Riley referenced past works including “Sorry to Bother You,” which premiered at Sundance in 2018, where it received the Sundance Institute’s Vanguard Award. Riley also said that when it came to a specific comparison between his projects and other films, Cannes ultimately selected “The Idol” rather than “I’m a Virgo.” Both outlets report that Riley frames the pattern as a recurring mismatch between his films and Cannes programming preferences. Separately, one report notes that Neon is positioned as a major winner at Cannes again, with the outlet citing the festival’s most recent Palme d’Or results, though Riley’s comments focus on Cannes decisions related to his own 2026 lineup and the rejection of multiple titles.