cannes 2024: longest standing ovations ranked

By: Brigiite Valadez

It’s standing ovation season and it seems like the length of applause movies get at the Cannes Film Festival is even more important than winning a prize. Remember the 22 minutes of clapping for Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 Pan’s Labyrinth? So below, we ranked a list of movies showing at Cannes by the length of the applause they’ve received. How long do you think you can clap after seeing a movie?

movie theater cannes france

Debussy Theatre courtesy Mathilde Petit / FDC

12- 15 minute applause (depending on who you ask)- The Seed of the Sacred Fig

  • A drama about a family in Tehran divided over the oppressive practices of the Iranian government

  • Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof who risked his life by appearing at the screening after fleeing Iran for Europe to avoid going to jail for making a film that criticizes the regime.

  • Cast: stars Soheila Golestani (now arrested by Iranian security services), Missagh Zareh (who also was unable to leave Iran for the premiere), Mahsa Rostami, Setareh Maleki

  • Release date TBD in 2024

11 minute applause- Horizon: An American Saga

  • A western (first of four) about the pre-and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American west.

  • Co-written, directed and starring Kevin Costner

  • Cast: Sienna Miller, Abbey Lee, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jenna Malone, Tatanka Means, Luke Wilson, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi

  • Out June 28th

11 minute applause- Emilia Pérez

  • A (mostly) Spanish musical about a cartel boss looking to retire and disappear forever by becoming the woman he's always dreamed of being.

  • Cast: Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Edgar Ramírez, Mark Ivanir and Karla Sofía Gascón

  • Out Aug. 28th but only in France (for now). a/o May 24th, the film is close to a deal with Netflix.

10 minute applause- Anora

  • A romantic dramedy about a sex worker in NY who gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and marries the son of a Russian oligarch.

  • Cast: Mikey Madison (Better Things, Scream), Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karen Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan.

  • Directed by Sean Baker

  • Out May 21st but only in France (for now)

8 minute applause- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

  • The action adventure prequel to ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ which tells the origin story of Furiosa as she fights to get back home. 

  • Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit, The Menu), Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne, Nathan Jones, Angus Sampson, Daniel Webber, Lachy Hulme

  • Directed by George Miller who created the Mad Max franchise

  • Out May 24th

7 minute applause- Megalopolis  

  • A sci-fi drama about an idealistic architect who wants to rebuild New York City following a devastating disaster using his power to stop time.

  • Self-funded, written, directed and produced by Francis Ford Coppola

  • Cast: Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Jason Schwartzman, Talia Shire, Grace Vanderwaal, Kathryn Hunter and Dustin Hoffman.

  • Out May 16th

6 minute applause- Kinds Of Kindness

  • Three different but loosely connected weird stories about a man who tries to take control of his own life, a policeman whose wife seems like a different person, and a woman who searches for someone with a special ability.

  • Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things)

  • Cast: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, and Hunter Schafer (Euphoria)

  • Out June 21st

7 minute applause- Bird

  • A drama about a 12 year old girl who lives with her brother and neglectful dad. She looks for attention and adventure elsewhere.

  • Written and directed by Andrea Arnold

  • Cast: Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski, James Nelson-Joyce, Sarah Beth Harber, Nykiya Adams

  • Out May 16th but only in France (for now)

6 minute applause- The Surfer

  • A thriller about a man who goes back to his hometown in Australia and is humiliated in front of his teenage son by a local group of surfers who act like they own his secluded childhood beach.

  • Directed by Lorcan Finnegan

  • Cast: Nicolas Cage, Julian McMahon, Nic Cassim, Miranda Tapsell, Alexander Bertrand, Justin Rosniak

  • Out May 17th but only in France (for now)

So why do we even care about Cannes?

1- Cannes is the largest and to a lot in the industry, the most significant film festival. 

2- The world's very first movie was shown in Paris in 1895 (by the Lumière brothers) so it’s kind of where cinema was born!

3- Many filmmakers and executives go to sell their movies or buy up rights to make movies.

4- Like at many other film events, stars also dress to impress and Cannes becomes center stage for fashion!