Cannes Film Festival Ovation Goes Wrong in Hilarious Short Film From Viral Actor

A new short film about a never-ending stand-in ovation at the Cannes Film Festival is now available to watch for free.

Ovation is directed by Noam Kroll. Written and performed by Luke Barnett, the short film was inspired by Joaquin Phoenix’s reaction to the standing ovation that Ari Aster’s Eddington movie received at the Cannes Film Festival.

How can I watch Ovation?

Ovation is now free to watch on Noam Kroll’s YouTube page. View it below (watch more trailers and clips):

Kroll said in a statement, “I loved the idea of shooting the whole film in one unbroken take to emulate the uncomfortable, often invasive feeling of real-life video coverage at festival premieres. That approach also gave Luke the space to unravel his performance in real time, without cut points – so the audience feels like they’re right there in the room with him, riding the same emotional rollercoaster.”

Barnett added, “The short was inspired by watching Joaquin Phoenix during Eddington’s ovation at Cannes. You can tell it affected him and meant a lot…for about 45 seconds. After that, I’m guessing his soul slowly and uncomfortably died. While any artist—myself included—would love to have that reaction to something they’ve created, I kept thinking…what do you do after that first minute passes, and a thousand people are still staring and clapping?”

Barnett — who previously wrote, starred in, and co-directed The Crossing Over Express short film, which went viral at the end of last year, with Tanner Thomason — is also starring in Kroll’s upcoming film Teacher’s Pet, which will be released early next year and co-stars Barbara Crampton. Additionally, Barnett recently wrapped a recurring role on AMC’s Dark Winds show.

Ovation was shot in just two hours for approximately $50, largely thanks to a two-person crew, Kroll and DP Andy Chinn, and a handful of actors willing to join the project at the last minute.