At Cannes, long ovations grab attention - but do they mean anything?
Published on: May 23, 2026, 1:01 a.m. | Source: Devdiscourse
The duration of a Cannes Film Festival standing ovation is often reported as a spot test on how good a film is, but film critics and journalists question whether the measure holds any merit. Entertainment outlet Deadline reported that this year's Spanish competition entry, "The Black Ball," received a 20-minute ovation on Thursday night, just two minutes shy of Guillermo del Toro's 22-minute record with "Pan's Labyrinth" two decades ago.
