Indigenous Canadian filmmaker Kelvin Redvers was denied entry to the red carpet at the 75th Cannes Film Festival because he was wearing traditional moccasins, he told Canadian media on Saturday.
The director is a member of the Dene indigenous community and grew up in the Northwest Territories of Canada.
"I grew up around my culture on the land and moccasins are a big deal," he told CBC.
"I understand that there are certain rules about dress code on the red carpet so I thought if I wore a tuxedo, a bow tie, and a piece that showed I was Indigenous, it would be accepted."
Scroll through the gallery below to see the best styles from the Cannes Film Festival red carpets:
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German model Caroline Daur arrives for the screening of Final Cut (Coupez!) and the opening ceremony of the 75th Cannes Film Festival, wearing a Valentino pink mini dress and matching platform heels. Getty Images -
Bollywood star and Cannes jury member Deepika Padukone attends the opening ceremony gala dinner in a Sabyasachi sari. Getty Images -
Deepika Padukone attends the closing ceremony in a white sari by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. Getty Images -
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wears a dramatic architectural gown in pale pink, covered with silver embellishment, by Indian designer Gaurav Gupta to the screening of the film Armageddon Time. Reuters -
Swedish actress and jury member Noomi Rapace wears Dries van Noten for the screening of Elvis. AFP -
French model Didi Stone wears Roberto Cavalli to the screening of Final Cut (Coupez!) and the film festival's opening ceremony. Getty Images -
Australian actress Katherine Langford in pink Valentino at the screening of 'Top Gun: Maverick'. Getty Images -
Naomi Campbell in Valentino at the Celebration of Women in Cinema gala, hosted by the Red Sea International Film Festival, at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival -
Bella Hadid in vintage 1987 Gianni Versace at the screening of The Innocent (L'Innocent). Getty Images -
Bella Hadid in another vintage Versace look at the 75th anniversary celebration dinner of the festival. AP -
Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton cruise 2023 for the screening of Holy Spider. EPA -
Alton Mason in Pressiat at the afterparty of the film Elvis. AP -
Greg Tarzan Davis in Dolce & Gabbana at the screening of Top Gun: Maverick. Getty Images -
US actress Viola Davis, in custom Alexander McQueen, and her husband Julius Tennon arrive for the screening of Top Gun: Maverick. AFP -
Jury member Rebecca Hall, in Gucci, arrives on stage during the opening ceremony. Getty Images -
Eva Longoria wears a custom-made Cristina Ottaviano gown to the screening of Top Gun: Maverick. AFP -
Eva Longoria in Alberta Ferretti at the screening of Final Cut (Coupez!) ahead of the opening ceremony. AFP -
Lashana Lynch attends the opening ceremony gala dinner in Fendi. Getty Images -
German actress Emilia Schule in a white dress at the screening of Final Cut (Coupez!) and opening ceremony. Getty Images -
Indian actress Urvashi Rautela in Tony Ward couture for the screening of Final Cut (Coupez!) and the opening ceremony. Getty Images -
Alessandra Ambrosio wears Elie Saab for the Celebration of Women in Cinema Gala, hosted by the Red Sea International Film Festival, at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival -
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wears Dolce & Gabbana to the Top Gun: Maverick screening. AFP -
US influencer Jessica Wang in Valdrin Sahiti at the annual amfAR Cinema Against Aids Cannes Gala. AFP -
Jessica Wang in Tony Ward at the screening of Forever Young (Les Amandiers). Getty Images -
Liza Koshy in Georges Hobeika at the screening of Top Gun: Maverick. Getty Images -
US model Jasmine Tookes in Tony Ward for the screening of Top Gun: Maverick. AFP -
Miss Kosovo Emilia Dobreva in Michael Cinco for the screening of Triangle of Sadness. Getty Images -
Indonesian actress Raline Shah wearing Gaurav Gupta to the screening of The Innocent. EPA -
Canadian model Coco Rocha in vintage John Galliano at the premiere of Decision To Leave. AP -
Kristen Stewart in Chanel for the photocall for Crimes of the Future. EPA -
US model Lori Harvey in Alexandre Vauthier at the screening of Final Cut (Coupez!) ahead of the opening ceremony. AFP -
Bella Hadid in Gucci for the screening of Broker (Les Bonnes Etoiles). EPA -
Maria Borges wears Ashi Studio to the closing ceremony. Getty Images -
Filipina actress Heart Evangelista in Tony Ward at the screening of Un petit frere (Mother and Son). Reuters -
Cynthia Erivo in Louis Vuitton at the amFAR Gala Cannes. Getty Images -
US actress Vanessa Hudgens in Miu Miu for the amfAR Cinema Against Aids Cannes Gala. AFP -
Coco Rocha in Iris Van Herpen for the amfAR Cinema Against Aids benefit. AP -
Tang Wei in Fendi after the screening of Decision to Leave. EPA -
Sharon Stone in Dolce & Gabbana for the screening of Crimes of the Future. AFP -
Elle Fanning in custom Armani Prive at the screening of Top Gun: Maverick. Getty Images -
Jennifer Connelly in custom Louis Vuitton at the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick. AP -
Julianne Moore wears Bottega Veneta at the opening ceremony gala dinner. Getty Images -
Olivia Culpo, in Saint Laurent, at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. Getty Images -
Natalia Barulich in Michael Cinco at the screening of Elvis. Getty Images
Redvers added that moccasins "are very much considered traditional and formal clothing" among many cultures in Canada.
The director had travelled to France with a delegation of indigenous filmmakers and was invited to the premiere of Les Amandiers by French-Italian actor Valeria Bruni Tedeschi on May 22.
Festival security officials, however, barred him from the red carpet, Redvers told several major Canadian media outlets. He was only allowed to return once he had changed his shoes.
"It's kind of hard to process things like that. I was almost, and even now when I think about it, (it) kind of gets me a little upset. I was disappointed. I was angry," he explained upon his return to Vancouver, British Columbia.
The brown moccasins had been made by Redvers's sister, and he said he was "excited" to wear them at a significant moment in his life.
"Every time I wear them, it's [the] best feeling, to be connected to family and Dene roots," he said.
Within hours of the incident, the filmmaker said he met with top festival officials, who apologised and invited him to wear the shoes on the red carpet during the presentation of David Cronenberg's Crimes of the Future on Monday.
Redvers said on Facebook that he hoped the incident would help spread the word around the world "that indigenous cultural wear is completely acceptable in formal settings like the red carpet".
Scroll through the gallery below to see all of the winners at Cannes Film Festival:
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The award winners on stage during the closing ceremony for the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. Getty Images -
Director Lukas Dhont, right, co-winner of the Grand Prix award for the film 'Close', with actor Eden Dambrine. Reuters -
Writer/director Ruben Ostlund, winner of the Palme d'Or for 'Triangle of Sadness,' with actress Dolly De Leon, during the photocall following the awards ceremony at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. AP -
From left, Chie Hayakawa holds the Camera D'Or Special Distinction Award for 'Plan 75'; actress Rossy de Palma; and director Gina Gammell, winner of the Camera d'Or award in Un Certain Regard for 'War Pony', during the photocall following the awards ceremony at Cannes. AP -
Song Kang-ho, winner of the Best Actor award for 'Broker,' at the photocall following the awards ceremony. AP -
Writer and director Ruben Ostlund, winner of the Palme d'Or for 'Triangle of Sadness'. AP -
Claire Denis, winner of the Grand Prix for 'Stars at Noon'. AP -
Directors Luc Dardenne, left, and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, winners of the 75th Prize for 'Tori and Lokita'. AP -
Director Tarik Saleh, Best Screenplay award winner for the film 'Boy From Heaven'. Reuters -
From left, Cannes Film Festival 2022 winners, British director and screenwriter Gina Gammell, Chinese director Jianying Chen and South Korean actor Park Yong-woo, at the closing ceremony. AFP -
Felix van Groeningen, left, and Charlotte Vandermeersch, winners of the Jury Prize for 'Eight Mountains'. AP -
Director Gina Gammell, winner of the Camera d'Or award in Un Certain Regard for 'War Pony'. AP -
Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Best Actress award winner for 'Holy Spider'. AP -
Abinash Bikram Shah, Short film Special Distinction award winner for 'Lori'. Reuters -
Director Park Chan-wook, Best Director award winner for 'Decision to Leave'. AP -
Director Ruben Ostlund, Palme d'Or award winner for the film 'Triangle of Sadness'. Reuters
