France, May 17 -- The announcement, made at the Cannes Film Festival, is likely to send shockwaves through the European industry at the annual gathering of the world's movie elite on the French Riviera.

"I experienced that petition as an injustice toward the Canal+ teams, who are committed to defending the independence of Canal+ and the full diversity of its choices," chief executive Maxime Saada said on Sunday in Cannes.

"I will no longer work with and I no longer want Canal to work with the people who signed that petition," he added.

The petition called people to mobilise against "the growing grip of the far right" on the film industry under the influence of Bollore and the Canal+ group.

Signatories included French superstar Juliett...