Julia Roberts stages barefoot protest at Cannes Film Festival

Julia Roberts led a red carpet rebellion against heels in Cannes — appearing barefoot at the premiere of her new film.

The actress, at the film festival in France to promote Money Monster, got around the dress code by arriving in shoes covered by her long flowing gown before dumping them as she got onto the red carpet.

Other festival-goers, including socialite Lady Victoria Hervey, openly wore flat shoes in defiance of the rules that reportedly saw dozens of women turned away last year for not wearing heels.

The festival’s dress code insists on “black tie/evening dress” for all gala screenings and does not explicitly mention shoes — though in practice it is assumed heels must be worn.

Cannes came in for heavy criticism last year when a large group of women were reportedly denied entry to the screening of the Cate Blanchett film Carol.

Kristen Stewart echoed the criticism again this year. The actress, in Cannes for Woody Allen’s Café Society and supernatural drama Personal Shopper, said: “Things have to change immediately.”

Cannes has taken steps this year to appear more female-friendly with three films by women directors, including Andrea Arnold — nominated for the Palme d’Or — and a series of talks by big names including Money Monster director Jodie Foster on the position of women in the industry.

Cannes’ director, Thierry Frémaux, last year denied that high heels were obligatory.

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