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Sean Baker’s “Anora,” a hilarious yet touching drama in which a sex worker falls in love with the son of a Russian oligarch, energized Cannes Film Festival with a 7.5-minute standing ovation on Tuesday, Variety reported.

As the crowd applauded, the indie maverick director and Cannes darling said into the microphone, “Thank you to the Cannes Film Festival for making dreams come true … And also thank you to all of you for coming out and seeing our film on the best screen in the world. Long live cinema!”

The ovation wasn’t the only chance for applause — the audience erupted into cheers numerous times during the two-hour film, including on several occasions during one wild scene in which the oligarch’s associates raid his son’s mansion.

“Anora”, which stars Karren Karagulian and Vache Tovmasyan, premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival on 21 May.

Karren Karagulian, who is a regular in Sean Baker’s films, plays Toros, while Vache Tovmasyan plays Garnick.

In the film, Mikey Madison (“Better Things,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) plays Anora, a 23-year-old working at a strip club outside of New York City. Her luck changes when she meets Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a Russian oligarch, who takes her on a week-long bender in Vegas during which the two get married. But when Vanya’s parents find out, the two find themselves being tracked down by Russian gangsters, who attempt to get them to annul the marriage.