OVATION (2025)

Admittedly…this one’s a bit niche. But if anyone has followed film festivals—the Cannes Film Festival especially—then you have heard about some of these marathon standing ovation sessions for filmmakers and actors following a screening. We’re talking up to 22 minutes long at the conclusion of the movie. Whether or not that’s deserved or just some wankery is subject to a different debate for another time. But today’s short film, 2025’s OVATION, charts the emotional journey an actor goes on while receiving an egregiously long standing ovation. Written and performed by Luke Barnett—and directed by Noam Kroll—OVATION features no dialogue, yet all through the reaction of Barnett can audiences see the the various ways the actor is feeling as this surge of positivity continues. Joy, gratitude, confusion, and more play out across the actor’s face and it’s genuinely impressive work to get you inside of the mental rollercoaster.