The Town with Matthew Belloni Do Standing Ovations at Film Festivals Mean Anything? The Town Investigates.
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Oct 23, 2025 Stephen Follows, a film data analyst, joins to dissect the curious phenomenon of standing ovations at festivals. He reveals that such applause has surged since 2000, fueled by social media and performative clapping. The duo examines whether ovation lengths are measurable or meaningful, finding little correlation with box office success. Follows also discusses how audience composition influences reactions and predicts that the ovation trend may fizzle out soon. They wrap up by touching on the Golden Globes' podcast awards and the ethics of promotion.
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AFI Premiere Without A Manufactured Ovation
- Matt Belloni describes AFI's Bruce Springsteen premiere where applause occurred but no standing ovation until Bruce performed.
- He uses that to contrast against performative long ovations at other festivals.
Ovations Have Become More Frequent
- Standing ovations at major festivals have sharply increased since the 2010s and peaked in number by 2024.
- The rise aligns with social media virality and more reporting rather than clear artistic merit.
Social Media Turned Ovations Into Performance
- Social media and press coverage made ovations performative and incentivized longer applause.
- Festivals, PR and trades all play symbiotic roles in hyping ovations for buzz.
