Which films had the longest standing ovations at Cannes?

Martin Scorsese returned to Cannes in 2023 year for the first time since 1985’s 'After Hours,' and to roaring results. 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone premiered on May 20, and after its 3 hour and 26 minute run-time, the audience stood up and applauded for another nine minutes—the longest of the festival. The film tells the story of the dark chapter in American history when members of the Osage Nation in northeastern Oklahoma were systematically murdered, and Gladstone, who plays an Osage woman betrayed by her greedy husband, received the loudest applause of all.

1 / 34 Fotos

'Jeanne Du Barry' -

Following the premiere of Johnny Depp's French biopic 'Jeanne Du Barry,' which opened the festival on May 16, 2023, the audience gave a seven-minute standing ovation despite the backlash over Depp's mere appearance. Variety reports that the actor, who has remained out of sight ever since his highly publicized defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, got emotional over the reaction to his role as King Louis XV. The film's director and other star, Maïwenn, who plays the king's lover, also got emotional, though she has similarly received backlash for allegedly assaulting a journalist and being "outspokenly anti-#MeToo."

2 / 34 Fotos

'Triangle of Sadness' -

'Triangle of Sadness' had a whole eight minutes-worth of standing ovation in 2022. The dark comedy is directed by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund and follows a model (Harris Dickinson) and his influencer girlfriend (the late Charlbi Dean), who embark on a luxury cruise for the ultra-rich which is captained by Woody Harrelson’s Marxist character.

3 / 34 Fotos

'The French Dispatch' -

Wes Anderson's film, 'The French Dispatch,' brought its roster of A-list actors to Cannes for its premiere, among them the likes of Bill Murray, Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, and Timothee Chalamet. Swinton and Chalamet had everyone's attention from the red carpet due to their dazzling outfits, and they continued to eat up the attention during the film's incredible nine-minute standing ovation.

4 / 34 Fotos

'Annette' -

Adam Driver found that during the five-minute applause for 'Annette,' co-starring alongside Marion Cotillard, he had enough time to light a cigarette. He was actually offered one by director Leos Carax, and perhaps that felt less weird than just standing there while the crowd clapped and cheered.

5 / 34 Fotos

'Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood' -

Tarantino's 1994 'Pulp Fiction' was the cause of some boos at the festival when it won the Palme d'Or over Krzysztof Kieślowski's 'Three Colors: Red.' In 2019, however, he entered the ranks of the films with the most applause with 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,' earning a seven-minute-long (some say six) standing ovation.

6 / 34 Fotos

'Inside Llewyn Davis' - In 2013, this Coen brothers film about the odyssey of a folk singer on his way to stardom earned a five-minute standing ovation.

7 / 34 Fotos

'Moonrise Kingdom' - Wes Anderson's 2012 film, about two 12-year-olds who fall in love, racked up a five-minute standing ovation as well.

8 / 34 Fotos

'The Beguiled' - In 2017, Sofia Coppola soaked in a five-minute standing ovation for her haunting drama starring Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Colin Farrell, and Kirsten Dunst.

9 / 34 Fotos

'Burning' - This mysterious drama by South Korean director Lee Chang-dong earned a five-minute standing ovation at the Cannes screening in 2018.

10 / 34 Fotos

'Twin Peaks' - At the 2017 festival, David Lynch screened his two-hour premiere of the Showtime series revival, which received a five-minute standing ovation.

11 / 34 Fotos

'Good Time' - This Safdie brothers film saw Robert Pattinson in a refreshingly new role that descends into madness and chaos, earning a six-minute standing ovation in 2017.

12 / 34 Fotos

'You Were Never Really Here' - This Lynne Ramsay film earned Joaquin Phoenix the Cannes Best Actor award in 2017, as well as a seven-minute standing ovation.

13 / 34 Fotos

'Clouds of Sils Maria' - In 2014, a seven-minute standing ovation celebrated Olivier Assayas' backstage drama starring Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart.

14 / 34 Fotos

'Cold War' - Paweł Pawlikowski's 2018 film, focused on a near-impossible romance against the backdrop of the Cold War in Poland, had a raving eight minutes of applause—not bad for the Palme d'Or winner!

15 / 34 Fotos

'Foxcatcher' - In 2014, Bennett Miller's film starring Steve Carell and Channing Tatum earned not only an eight-minute standing ovation, but also the Cannes Best Director award.

16 / 34 Fotos

'Suspiria' - Luca Guadagnino's 2018 remake of Dario Argento's 1977 supernatural horror earned an eight-minute standing ovation.

17 / 34 Fotos

'Mommy' - Canadian director Xavier Dolan earned a nine-minute standing ovation in 2015 for his emotionally striking coming-of-age drama, along with the Jury Prize.

18 / 34 Fotos

'All Is Lost' - In 2013, J. C. Chandor's film, starring Robert Redford as a veteran mariner forced to face his own mortality, had people standing and clapping for nine minutes.

19 / 34 Fotos

'Biutiful' - Alejandro González Iñárritu's drama, starring Javier Bardem, earned a nine-minute standing ovation in 2010, as well as the Cannes Best Actor award for Bardem.

20 / 34 Fotos

'Carol' - Todd Haynes' 2015 film focused on a complicated bond between two women, played by Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett, enjoyed 10 minutes of applause.

21 / 34 Fotos

'Captain Fantastic' - In 2016, Matt Ross' dramedy about a family raised in isolation who venture out into the world earned a 10-minute standing ovation.

22 / 34 Fotos

'The Beaver' - Jodie Foster's 2011 dark comedy starring Mel Gibson as a man who finds salvation in a puppet, had people on their feet for 10 minutes.

23 / 34 Fotos

'BlacKkKlansman' - Spike Lee's provocative film won the prestigious Grand Prix in 2018, as well as a 10-minute standing ovation.

24 / 34 Fotos

'Inglourious Basterds' - Quentin Tarantino had actually set a record for himself with this 2009 film he co-directed with Eli Roth, earning an 11-minute standing ovation.

25 / 34 Fotos

'The Artist' - In 2012, this black and white silent drama directed by Michel Hazanavicius, regarded as a French salute to Hollywood in the '20s, had an impressive 12-minute standing ovation.

26 / 34 Fotos

'Bowling for Columbine' - In 2003, Michael Moore's moving documentary exploring the primary causes of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre had people standing and clapping for 13 minutes straight.

27 / 34 Fotos

'The Paperboy' - Lee Daniels' 2012 thriller starring Matthew McConaughey, John Cusack, Zac Efron, and Nicole Kidman had an impressive 15-minute standing ovation.

28 / 34 Fotos

'Capernaum' - In 2018, Lebanese director (and actor) Nadine Labaki enjoyed 15 minutes of standing ovation as well as the Cannes Jury Prize for her film about a neglected, hardened 12-year-old who sues his parents in protest of the life they gave him.

29 / 34 Fotos

'The Neon Demon' -

Nicolas Winding Refn's 2016 thriller starring Elle Fanning tells the story of a young girl who tries to make it big as a model in the cutthroat LA industry, and it was rousing enough to sustain 17 minutes of a standing ovation.

30 / 34 Fotos

'Mud' - In 2012, Jeff Nichols' crime drama about a fugitive, played by Matthew McConaughey, trying to reunite with his true love, played by Reese Witherspoon, so impassioned the audience that they applauded for 18 minutes.

31 / 34 Fotos

'Fahrenheit 9/11' - Michael Moore's 2004 political documentary questioning the Bush administration's motives for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was so brilliantly executed that the viewers gave a 20-minute standing ovation, in addition to the Palme d'Or.

32 / 34 Fotos

'Pan's Labyrinth' -

Guillermo del Toro made history in 2006 with his fantastic tale of a girl who discovers a magical world of mythical beings, as it was received with an absolutely exhausting and incomprehensible 22 minutes of standing applause.

33 / 34 Fotos

Getty Images/NL Beeld

0 / 34 Fotos

'Killers of the Flower Moon' -

1 / 34 Fotos

'Jeanne Du Barry' -

2 / 34 Fotos

'Triangle of Sadness' -

Getty Images

3 / 34 Fotos

'The French Dispatch' -

Getty Images

4 / 34 Fotos

'Annette' -

5 / 34 Fotos

'Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood' -

6 / 34 Fotos

'Inside Llewyn Davis' - In 2013, this Coen brothers film about the odyssey of a folk singer on his way to stardom earned a five-minute standing ovation.

7 / 34 Fotos

'Moonrise Kingdom' - Wes Anderson's 2012 film, about two 12-year-olds who fall in love, racked up a five-minute standing ovation as well.

8 / 34 Fotos

'The Beguiled' - In 2017, Sofia Coppola soaked in a five-minute standing ovation for her haunting drama starring Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Colin Farrell, and Kirsten Dunst.

9 / 34 Fotos

'Burning' - This mysterious drama by South Korean director Lee Chang-dong earned a five-minute standing ovation at the Cannes screening in 2018.

10 / 34 Fotos

'Twin Peaks' - At the 2017 festival, David Lynch screened his two-hour premiere of the Showtime series revival, which received a five-minute standing ovation.

11 / 34 Fotos

'Good Time' - This Safdie brothers film saw Robert Pattinson in a refreshingly new role that descends into madness and chaos, earning a six-minute standing ovation in 2017.

12 / 34 Fotos

'You Were Never Really Here' - This Lynne Ramsay film earned Joaquin Phoenix the Cannes Best Actor award in 2017, as well as a seven-minute standing ovation.

13 / 34 Fotos

'Clouds of Sils Maria' - In 2014, a seven-minute standing ovation celebrated Olivier Assayas' backstage drama starring Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart.

14 / 34 Fotos

15 / 34 Fotos

'Foxcatcher' - In 2014, Bennett Miller's film starring Steve Carell and Channing Tatum earned not only an eight-minute standing ovation, but also the Cannes Best Director award.

16 / 34 Fotos

'Suspiria' - Luca Guadagnino's 2018 remake of Dario Argento's 1977 supernatural horror earned an eight-minute standing ovation.

17 / 34 Fotos

'Mommy' - Canadian director Xavier Dolan earned a nine-minute standing ovation in 2015 for his emotionally striking coming-of-age drama, along with the Jury Prize.

18 / 34 Fotos

'All Is Lost' - In 2013, J. C. Chandor's film, starring Robert Redford as a veteran mariner forced to face his own mortality, had people standing and clapping for nine minutes.

19 / 34 Fotos

'Biutiful' - Alejandro González Iñárritu's drama, starring Javier Bardem, earned a nine-minute standing ovation in 2010, as well as the Cannes Best Actor award for Bardem.

20 / 34 Fotos

'Carol' - Todd Haynes' 2015 film focused on a complicated bond between two women, played by Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett, enjoyed 10 minutes of applause.

21 / 34 Fotos

'Captain Fantastic' - In 2016, Matt Ross' dramedy about a family raised in isolation who venture out into the world earned a 10-minute standing ovation.

22 / 34 Fotos

'The Beaver' - Jodie Foster's 2011 dark comedy starring Mel Gibson as a man who finds salvation in a puppet, had people on their feet for 10 minutes.

23 / 34 Fotos

'BlacKkKlansman' - Spike Lee's provocative film won the prestigious Grand Prix in 2018, as well as a 10-minute standing ovation.

24 / 34 Fotos

'Inglourious Basterds' - Quentin Tarantino had actually set a record for himself with this 2009 film he co-directed with Eli Roth, earning an 11-minute standing ovation.

25 / 34 Fotos

'The Artist' - In 2012, this black and white silent drama directed by Michel Hazanavicius, regarded as a French salute to Hollywood in the '20s, had an impressive 12-minute standing ovation.

26 / 34 Fotos

'Bowling for Columbine' - In 2003, Michael Moore's moving documentary exploring the primary causes of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre had people standing and clapping for 13 minutes straight.

27 / 34 Fotos

'The Paperboy' - Lee Daniels' 2012 thriller starring Matthew McConaughey, John Cusack, Zac Efron, and Nicole Kidman had an impressive 15-minute standing ovation.

NL Beeld

28 / 34 Fotos

29 / 34 Fotos

'The Neon Demon' -

BrunoPress

30 / 34 Fotos

31 / 34 Fotos

32 / 34 Fotos

'Pan's Labyrinth' -

33 / 34 Fotos

Which films had the longest standing ovations at Cannes?

Kevin Costner overcome with emotion as 'Horizon' receives 10-minute ovation

20/05/24 | StarsInsider

MOVIES Cannes film festival

On Sunday, May 19, Kevin Costner finally premiered his lifelong passion project, 'Horizon: An American Saga,' at the Cannes Film Festival. The Western is his first directorial effort in 11 years and is incredibly meaningful to the 69-year-old, as he also co-wrote the film and stars in it. According to Warner Bros. Pictures, it's "a multifaceted chronicle covering the Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West." Following the premiere, the crowd gave Costner a 10-minute standing ovation that brought him to tears. He made an emotional speech after, declaring that he would "never forget" the experience. "I made this. It's not mine anymore. It's yours. I knew that the minute this was over and that's what it should be." He went on, "And I hope that you do share this movie with your sweethearts, with your children. I feel so lucky. I feel so blessed — and there's three more," he announced to renewed applause. The film will be released in two chapters this summer.

As a prestigious and time-honored event, the famed Cannes Film Festival has a long history of overzealous applause. The celebrated actors and directors stand awkwardly for the entire duration, unsure of what to do with their hands, and it's weird but sweet.

Of course, a standing ovation always trumps being booed, for which the festival is also notorious, despite its elite crowds. Surprising films like 'Taxi Driver' (1976), 'L'Avventura' (1960), and Sofia Coppola's 'Marie Antoinette' (2006) were all booed by men and women in tuxedos and gowns.

Many surprising films have earned the longest standing ovations in Cannes history, with the longest recorded reaching an astounding 22 minutes! Click through to find out the films with the most physically demanding fanfare.