If a woman whose feet are not hurting, then she cannot be part of the Cannes Film Festival.

Screen Daily broke the news May 19 that "multiple guests, some older with medical conditions" were not allowed to attend the screening of "Carol," a lesbian drama by director Todd Haynes. It is said that the women involved in the incident were wearing rhinestone flat shows.

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A source who witnessed the incident told Screen that the women were in their 50s and were told by Cannes officials to "go and buy appropriate shoes and come back."

“I’ve heard this happening several times now, even to older women who can’t wear heels for medical reasons," the unnamed source said.

The (U.K.) Independent reported the same day that a Cannes spokesperson said that the film festival has a dress code that has been unchanged for years. "There is no specific mention about the height of the women’s heels as well as for men’s. Thus, in order to make sure that this rule is respected, the Festival’s hosts and hostesses were reminded of it," according to the spokesperson.

Many people took to show their dismay of the Cannes rule on social media.

According to Independent Film Company, the company's head of sales and junior were not allowed to enter for the "Carol" screening "for lack of sass in shoes." The film company said in a tweet that the two executives had to grab high-heeled shoes and were then allowed to watch the movie.

PopSugar also tweeted that Hollywood actress Emily Blunt, when asked about the Cannes report about women not being allowed to see movies if they are wearing flats, the actress said, "I think everyone should wear flats, to be honest."

"Carol," the movie that is in the middle of this controversy, stars Cate Blanchett who plays a lesbian in the 1950s who challenged society's acceptance of homosexuality at that period.

TagsCannes Film Festival, cannes film festival dress code, carol cannes film festival, carol movie, sexism