The Venice Film Festival is all about the stars, the screenings and the standing ovations.
Over the years, Cannes, Venice and Berlin’s respective film festivals have made headlines for how long the audience claps for each screening, with the majority of movies receiving applause that lasts for minutes on end.
Cannes director Thierry Fremaux addressed the cultural phenomenon in September, telling IndieWire, “I consider it as part of my job. I pay attention to the screening, how long to keep the room in the dark, whether to cut the credits or not, the best moment to turn on the light, et cetera. Every screening is a celebration, and the participation of the audience makes that celebration much better. People want to participate!”
Fremaux also discussed the recent increase in participation, adding, “Since COVID, being in a movie theater with a great film in the presence of artists is a beautiful privilege. That explains the recent generosity.”
Scroll down to see the ranking of screenings from the Venice Film Festival:
‘Aggro Dr1ft’ (10 Minutes)
More than a dozen audience members left while the experimental action film was still playing in the theater. Director Harmony Korine still received a 10-minute ovation after Aggro Dr1ft finished.
‘Poor Things’ (8 Minutes)
The film, which is based on a novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray, earned an eight-minute standing ovation at its world premiere. Poor Things stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott and Jerrod Carmichael.
‘Memory’ (8 Minutes)
Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard wiped away tears after getting an eight-minute standing ovation for their performances in Michel Franco’s film Memory.
‘Priscilla’ (7 Minutes)
Sofia Coppola’s adaptation of Priscilla Presley‘s book about her romance with Elvis Presley received a seven-minute standing ovation. Priscilla was visibly emotional after watching the A24 indie film alongside cast Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi.
‘Maestro’ (7 Minutes)
The film which tells the story of stage composer Leonard Bernstein’s life got a seven-minute standing ovation. Bradley Cooper, who plays Bernstein, was not in attendance at the event along with his costars due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
‘Dogman’ (6 Minutes)
Director Luc Besson was honored with a six-minute ovation during his Venice Film Festival debut with Dogman.
‘Origin’ (6 Minutes)
Ava DuVernay made history as the first African American woman with a movie in competition at the Venice Film Festival while debuting Origin. Audience members were in tears while watching an adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s book Caste: The Origin of Our Discontent — which led to a nearly six-minute ovation.
‘Ferrari’ (6 Minutes)
Adam Driver got teary-eyed after his performance in Michael Mann’s Ferrari earned a six-minute standing ovation.
‘Hit Man’ (5 Minutes)
Director Richard Linklater handed out high fives after getting a five-minute standing ovation for his film, which stars Glen Powell.
‘The Killer’ (5 Minutes)
The Netflix film received a five-minute standing ovation at the prestigious festival.
‘Henry Sugar’ (4 Minutes)
Wes Anderson appeared thrilled by the four-minute standing ovation in response to his 40-minute short film.
‘Coup de Chance’ (3 Minutes)
Audience members delivered a three-minute standing ovation for Coup de Chance before director Woody Allen exited the theater.
‘The Palace’ (3 Minutes)
Roman Polanski‘s return to Venice Film Festival earned him a three-minute standing ovation by film fans.
‘Comandante’ (90 Seconds)
The World War II drama, which took the opening slot that was originally bestowed to Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, received a brief 90-second standing ovation. Challengers was originally planned to open the film festival but the SAG strike rules dictated that the movie’s stars including Zendaya wouldn’t be able to attend and promote the project.
