Has the Era of Standing Ovations at Film Festivals Reached Its Peak?
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Film festivals like Cannes and Venice have become synonymous with standing ovations, where filmmakers and stars are greeted by prolonged applause, sometimes stretching for minutes on end. While the clapping and standing ovation tradition used to be reserved for the most outstanding works of cinema, it now feels as if nearly every film at these festivals receives extended applause. The question arises: have we reached peak standing ovation? Are these endless displays of appreciation still a valid measure of a film’s success, or are they simply a trend inflated by media coverage and festival culture?
As audiences become increasingly willing to applaud for longer stretches of time, the true value of these ovations becomes questionable. A five-minute ovation, once impressive, is now considered lukewarm, while a standing ovation lasting over 15 minutes is seen as the ultimate endorsement. This article delves into the growing culture of standing ovations, examining whether they still hold meaning or have simply become another facet of festival pageantry, disconnected from the critical and commercial success of the films themselves.
Have Film Festivals Reached Peak Standing Ovation?
The tradition of clapping to show appreciation goes back centuries, and at some point, we decided that applause needed an upgrade—something more than just clapping. Enter the standing ovation: a combination of standing and clapping that signals approval for a truly exceptional performance. Historically, this honor was reserved for only the most extraordinary moments.
But lately, standing ovations have become a near-constant at film festivals, especially at Cannes and Venice. Whether it’s Hollywood elites anxious about sitting for too long or the fact that standing ovations have become a new metric for determining a film’s reception, audiences are more eager than ever to leap to their feet. Film trades now report the duration of ovations, and anything less than five minutes of applause can be seen as underwhelming.
This year, Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door, the director’s first English-language film, received an 18-minute standing ovation at Venice—the longest in the festival’s history. While impressive, it falls short of the record set at Cannes. Below, we’ll explore some of the longest standing ovations in film festival history, how they’ve translated to critical or commercial success, and what else audiences could have done with all that clapping time.
13 Minutes
Bowling for Columbine (Cannes, 2002); Mommy (Cannes, 2024); The Banshees of Inisherin (Venice, 2022); The Brutalist (Venice, 2024)
A 13-minute standing ovation seems to be a sweet spot for films destined for success. Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and The Banshees of Inisherin cleaned up at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs. Most recently, The Brutalist, an epic about a Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor, earned a 13-minute ovation at Venice, hinting at potential award season buzz. Clapping for 13 minutes might sound tedious, but it’s still easier than holding a sword for the same length of time—a feat achieved by Guinness World Record holder Murray Molloy.
14 Minutes
Belle (Cannes, 2021); The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Cannes, 2024); Motel Destino (Cannes, 2024); Blonde (Venice, 2022)
Some films receiving 14-minute ovations translate that into commercial success. Belle, a Japanese anime based on Beauty and the Beast, became the third-highest-grossing film in Japan in 2021. On the flip side, Blonde, a Marilyn Monroe biopic, received lukewarm reviews despite its Venice reception. Interestingly, during the same time it took for Venice attendees to applaud Blonde, NASA managed to beam Missy Elliott’s “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” to the planet Venus.
15 Minutes
Once Upon a Time in America (Cannes, 1984); The Paperboy (Cannes, 2012); Two Days, One Night (Cannes, 2014); Capernaum (Cannes, 2018); Happy as Lazzaro (Cannes, 2018)
Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America is a cinematic masterpiece, while Capernaum and Two Days, One Night are well-regarded arthouse films. The same cannot be said for The Paperboy, a crime thriller starring Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron that, despite its Cannes reception, struggled to make back its budget. Maybe those 15 minutes could have been better spent on something more practical—like putting a washing machine on a quick cycle.
17 Minutes
The Neon Demon (Cannes, 2016)
Nicholas Winding Refn’s psychological horror The Neon Demon received a 17-minute ovation at Cannes, but its box office performance didn’t reflect that enthusiasm. The film, starring Elle Fanning, Christina Hendricks, and Keanu Reeves, earned back less than half its budget. Coincidentally, 17 minutes is the average commute time in Refn’s home country of Denmark—the shortest in the world. Maybe the Danish are onto something.
18 Minutes
Mud (Cannes, 2012); The Room Next Door (Venice, 2024)
At Venice this year, The Room Next Door tied with Jeff Nichols’ Mud for an 18-minute standing ovation. While Mud helped bolster Matthew McConaughey’s resurgence, known as the “McConaissance,” Almodóvar’s latest English-language effort has generated significant buzz. Whether The Room Next Door will have the same impact as Mud remains to be seen, but both share the distinction of earning one of the longest ovations at major festivals.
20 Minutes
Fahrenheit 9/11 (Cannes, 2004)
Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 was a sharp critique of George W. Bush’s presidency and the Iraq War. It’s one of only two films to receive a 20-minute standing ovation at Cannes. The film had a profound cultural impact, but looking back, you might wonder what else could have been done with those 20 minutes. Perhaps completing nine holes of golf, as Luke Willett famously did in a record-setting time of 20 minutes, might have been a more efficient use of time.
22 Minutes
Pan’s Labyrinth (Cannes, 2006)
Finally, we reach the pinnacle of festival standing ovations: Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, which received an astounding 22 minutes of applause at Cannes. Even del Toro himself seemed perplexed by the length, once remarking, “Ten minutes in, you don’t know what to do. You’re just smiling and nodding.” Perhaps next time, del Toro could take a 22-minute walk, which, according to health experts, is enough to combat the ill effects of sitting too long—something those Cannes audiences might want to consider.
While standing ovations have become a staple at film festivals, their true value as a measure of success is debatable. With media outlets reporting the length of these ovations and audiences more than willing to clap for extended periods, the act itself may have lost some of its original significance. The fact that a 13-minute standing ovation is now considered average raises the question: are we overdoing it?
As film festivals continue to celebrate cinema, perhaps the industry will reconsider how we measure a film’s reception and whether these lengthy ovations are still the best gauge of success. Regardless, it’s clear that audiences will keep clapping—and filmmakers will keep hoping—for those precious minutes of standing approval.
Source: Variety, Cannes, Venice, Guinness World Records
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