The Cannes Film Festival is one award ceremony that demands glamor and elegance not just in its general ambiance, but from the guests attending as well, which very much explains the "Flatgate" controversy.

The display of opulence and elegance in the film festival held near the French Riviera has been a annual thing ever since the golden age of cinema, and as The Hollywood Reporter explained, these rules have remain unchanged all these years. Women have been required to wear formal dresses, as men have been obligated to wear tuxedoes. Even Thierry Fremaux, the festival director, said that the rumor of such a requirement remains unfounded.

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The implementation of the said rule could not have gotten any better timing. During the lesbian movie "Carol," despite being praised for its themes and for being woman-centric not just in the cast but the producers as well, CNN reported that women were not admitted during the screening for wearing flats, thus causing the outrage of women and a handful of men. Those shooed comprised over-50 women, some even having the burden of a medical condition.

The ruling would have been okay if it were strictly implemented; The Hollywood Reported continued that even though the unwritten rule was imposed, there were some who became exception to the rule, such as those wearing dresses whose shoes were not easily seen slipped through the red carpet without trouble.

Though this has been the protocol for quite some time, it has sparked some negativity from the stars themselves. Emily Blunt, star of the action drama "Sicaro," said that this ruling is a great metaphor that symbolizes the struggle of women in Hollywood. USA Today reported that "Sicaro" director Denis Villeneuve even joked about him, Benicio Del Toro, and Josh Brolin, all starring alongside Blunt in the movie, will walk on the stairs in heels.