Today on indieWIRE: Lars Von Trier Banned From Cannes

• Lars Von Trier'scomments at the Wednesday press conference for'Melancholia,'in which he joked about sympathizing with Hitler and possibly being a Nazi, racked up even more controversy today. The Cannes Board of Directors declared Von Trier a"Persona Non Grata,"meaning he is unable to physically collect any awards for his film, and his future with the festival is in question. Von Trier could also face legal action from France, where anti-Semitic remarks can lead to six months in prison or a€22,500 fine.indieWIREreportedon the latest development in this scandal.

• There has been some confusion about the technicalities of becoming a"Persona Non Grata."It seemsVon Trier would still be eligible to receive the Palme d'Or, but would be unable to attend the ceremony.

• Speaking of the Palme d'Or,indieWIREoffered a round-up of the top five contenders for the coveted prize. Clickhereto read about the five front-runners, including'Melancholia'and'The Tree of Life.'

• indieWIRE lead criticEric KohnreviewedPedro Almodóvar's'The Skin I Live In,'starringAntonio Banderasas a deranged plastic surgeon. Kohn wasonly so-soon the dark medical thriller, stating Almodóvar"lets the mess pile up and enjoys it."Kohn wasa much bigger fanofJafar Panahi's 'This Is Not a Film,'calling it"a moving expression of frustration, as well as an eloquent indictment of Iranian society."

• The aftermath surrounding Von Trier's Nazi remarks has kept iW's blog network busy.Anne Thompsonreported on the controversy as didThe Playlist,who offered their opinion on the whole matter:"Yes, the director was being a prize ass, to the surprise of absolutely no-one. But we'd think that the official reprimand, and subsequent apology would have been the end of the story, without the need to blacklist the director. If Von Trier had stood up and outlined racial supremacist views, that would have been one thing, but he was nowhere near that, and even clarified his views at the time, and to ban Von Trier from the festival only a few days after parading Mel Gibson, a man on record as making genuinely racist and anti-Semitic statements, down the red carpet for the out-of-competition premiere of 'The Beaver,' a move designed to generate publicity just as much as Von Trier's comments were, is an act of staggering hypocrisy."

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