Are cinema-festival standing ovations as sincere as they look?

Usually, it confirms that a film has received a ceremonial welcome. It may also indicate genuine enthusiasm, particularly when spontaneous applause erupts during a screening or when the reaction continues outside the formal presentation. What it cannot establish by itself is whether critics broadly admired the film, whether distributors expect it to succeed, or whether general audiences will respond in the same way months later.

Efira’s critique lands with particular force because she is not speaking as an outsider. She has moved from Belgian television into leading roles in French and international cinema and has repeatedly accompanied films to Cannes. In an earlier RTBF interview, she described the entertainment world as a collection of social codes that differed from the Brussels life she knew, while also stressing her interest in discussing cinema with knowledgeable people. Her latest remark fits that longstanding wariness of group behaviour more readily than it suggests hostility towards festivals themselves.

There is a respectable counterargument. Filmmakers and festival organisers can reasonably say that sustained applause honours years of collective work, especially after a difficult production or an emotionally charged premiere. Cannes brings together professionals from scores of countries, and its screenings are simultaneously cultural occasions, industry marketplaces and media events. Expecting the response to behave like an anonymous audience score misunderstands the setting.

Film critics and regular festival attendees, however, have reason to resist presenting applause duration as evidence of artistic quality. The format rewards a simple, shareable number and can eclipse the more difficult questions raised by the film. Efira’s point is less that everybody clapping is dishonest than that ceremony encourages people to participate in a consensus they may not privately share. That tension between hospitality and judgement is part of festival culture, not proof of an organised deception.

Start with the film rather than the stopwatch. Read at least two reviews with different perspectives, check whether the production is in competition or appearing in another section, and look at the running time, language and accessibility information. Cineuropa’s Cannes review of Soudain, for example, discusses its three-hour-plus structure and narrative approach—details that tell a prospective viewer much more than an applause count.

For Brussels residents, the City of Brussels lists the Brussels International Film Festival, or BRIFF, as a showcase for Belgian and international cinema. Public screenings can also be found through institutions and venues such as CINEMATEK, Palace, Flagey and the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival. Listings may appear in French, Dutch or English: look for VO or OV for the original version, VOSTFR for French subtitles and VOSTNL or NLO for Dutch subtitles. A venue may sit in the Ville de Bruxelles/Stad Brussel or another commune/gemeente, but cinema tickets are bought from the organiser or venue; no municipal form or registration is required.

That local relevance should not obscure the centre of the story. Efira is a Brussels-born performer, but her remark concerns the international festival circuit and the way cultural prestige is manufactured and reported. Belgium’s multilingual cinema culture merely gives audiences here a useful vantage point: viewers routinely cross languages, venues and critical traditions rather than relying on one promotional signal.

The next meaningful test will not be another timed ovation but the life of the films after the carpet has been rolled away—critical reassessment, Belgian release schedules, attendance and discussion among ordinary viewers. Efira has opened a conversation rather than alleged specific misconduct. What remains unknown is whether festival organisers or entertainment desks will reconsider how prominently they promote unofficial applause lengths. Until then, the safest reading is simple: a long ovation records a moment in the room, not a final judgement on the screen.