However, the film director Nagisa OSHIMA, whose film was not listed, strongly protested against the office of the Cannes International Film Festival, and caused a fuss (On the background, although there was a provision that only one film could be listed officially from one country, the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. sent both films of Nakahira and Oshima, and the office of Cannes International Film Festival selected "Yami no naka no Chimimoryo" as the official film).
だが、これに洩れた大島渚監督が選考経緯不明瞭としてカンヌ国際映画祭事務当局に強く抗議、騒動となった（日本映画製作者連盟が正式出品作は1国につき1作品の規定にも関わらず、中平・大島両監督の作品を送り、カンヌ国際映画祭事務当局によって『闇の中の魑魅魍魎』が正式出品作として選ばれたという経緯があった）。