Actor and filmmaker Kristen Stewart has spoken out against Hollywood’s studio system during the Cannes Film Festival while promoting her latest film ‘Full Phil’, describing the industry as overly controlled by commercial priorities and bureaucracy.
Speaking to Variety ahead of the film’s premiere in Cannes’ Midnight Screenings section, Stewart said she had become frustrated with the way the American film industry operates.
“I’m just so sick of the rules and I’m so sick of the system,” she said. “It is not designed for artists to express themselves.”
Directed by Quentin Dupieux, Full Phil follows an American father and daughter travelling through Paris in an attempt to reconnect. The film stars Woody Harrelson alongside Stewart and combines absurd humour with surreal storytelling, a style closely associated with Dupieux’s filmmaking.
Stewart said she agreed to join the project before even reading the script because of her admiration for the director’s distinctive approach.
“I love his movies. They just don’t look or feel like anyone else’s,” she said.
The actor also reflected on the experience of working with Harrelson, revealing that the pair had wanted to collaborate for years. She described their on-screen dynamic as naturally suited to the father-daughter relationship portrayed in the film.
Throughout the interview, Stewart repeatedly criticised the commercial structure of major studios, arguing that filmmaking has become increasingly difficult for artists seeking creative freedom.
“There needs to be more work, more output, more connection and less fear and less bureaucracy and also less making billionaires more billionaires,” she said.
Stewart added that the collapse of older industry systems could potentially create opportunities for change. “I see a horizon that doesn’t resemble anything that I’ve seen before,” she said. “There’s so much hope in that.”
The actor, who made her directorial debut last year with ‘The Chronology of Water’, also spoke about the challenges of getting independent films distributed. She said she hopes to continue making smaller and more personal projects rather than waiting years for traditional studio financing.
At the same time, Stewart confirmed she is currently filming ‘Flesh of the Gods’, a vampire thriller directed by Panos Cosmatos and co-starring Wagner Moura.
She also revealed plans to direct more projects in the near future, saying she wants to move quickly rather than remain tied to lengthy studio processes.
“I’m going to make it tomorrow,” Stewart said while discussing her desire to independently create future films.
The actor additionally touched on discussions surrounding a potential screen adaptation linked to Kim Gordon’s memoir ‘Girl in a Band’, though she said she was uncertain about the project’s current direction.
