The 80‑minute documentary NAZA received a 25‑minute standing ovation at the 2026 Venice Film Festival on 13 September, the longest applause ever recorded at the event, and was awarded the special jury prize, the Guardian reported.

Record ovation at Venice

The Guardian noted that the standing ovation lasted exactly 25 minutes, a figure that "is a record for the festival". The applause followed the screening of NAZA on Saturday, 13 September 2026, and was accompanied by the announcement that the film had won the special jury prize – the festival’s highest honour for a documentary.

Directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the film runs 80 minutes and was described by the Guardian as "Oscar‑winning" in reference to the directors’ previous accolades. The documentary includes interviews with 24 Israeli military or intelligence personnel who discuss AI‑driven targeting systems used in Gaza.

Industry solidarity and political backlash

In the days after the festival, film‑industry figures worldwide expressed solidarity with Abraham and Szor, according to the Guardian. Heavyweights across the globe issued statements of support after Israel’s culture minister, Miki Zohar, threatened on 14 September 2026 to revoke the directors’ citizenship, accusing them of "treason against the state".

The Guardian also reported that more than 1,500 Israeli filmmakers signed a petition on 15 September 2026 in defence of the directors, refuting the minister’s accusation and urging the government to respect artistic freedom.

Timeline of events

• 13 September 2026 – NAZA screened at the Venice Film Festival, received a 25‑minute standing ovation, and won the special jury prize (The Guardian).
• 14 September 2026 – Israel’s culture minister Miki Zohar publicly threatened to revoke the directors’ citizenship (The Guardian).
• 15 September 2026 – The Guardian published its article detailing the ovation, the award, industry reactions and the petition by Israeli filmmakers (The Guardian).

What remains unknown

The Guardian did not disclose how many future screenings the film will receive outside the festival circuit, nor the exact legal basis the Israeli minister might use to pursue citizenship revocation. It also did not provide comparative data on previous longest ovations at Venice, beyond stating that 25 minutes is a record.

Future reporting will need to track whether the petition signed by over 1,500 filmmakers influences any official decision, and whether the film’s distribution will be affected by the political controversy.

For now, the record‑breaking ovation and the special jury prize stand as a testament to the documentary’s impact, while the ensuing diplomatic and cultural debate underscores the fraught intersection of art and state policy.