Good For The Gays Again

As you might know yours truly is a member of the film critics group called GALECA, which gathers up a bunch of us LGTBQ critics so we can be all queer over movies together, like we do. It's what we live for! Anyway our annual awards, called The Dorians, were announced this week, and you know what? Gay people got taste. I wouldn't say that in all circumstances -- we have seem to have wrought those awful Housewives programs, after all -- but here, in these circumstances, we have proven it this one way. We gave our big awards to Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog (also my personal favorite film of 2021), to Flee, to the fuck-yeah performances of Kristen Stewart in Spencer (and I am aware that that one's proven divisive...

... but I am way firm in the pro camp and I'm incredibly happy we recognized her for the work number one, but she's also queer herself so, you know, gays supporting gays yo!) and Ariana DeBose in West Side Story (also one of our queer compatriots!) -- we showed taste, baby. Add on to that we gave two count them TWO big awards to Pedro Almodovar and I have no notes. No notes. These weren't all my votes (I am a sad for Kodi Smit-McPhee and Jonny Greenwood and my baby Luca) but I am not angry at any of the winners. Not even House of Gucci winning for "Campiest Film" -- I hate that movie, truly, but that prize makes perfect sense. Hit the jump for the full press release...

LGBTQ Critics Name Power of the Dog Best Film, Flee, Passing and Drive My Car Also Win Big

Kristen Stewart Earns Best Film Performance

Ariana DeBose and Pedro Almodóvar Are Double Winners, Rita Moreno Anointed ‘Timeless Star’

House of Gucci Crowned Campiest Flick

March 17, 2022 - Hollywood, California – GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics announced the winners of its 13th Dorian Film Awards, again honoring movie content from mainstream to LGBTQIA+. To perhaps Sam Elliott’s chagrin, Netlix’s noirish western The Power of the Dog lassoed three major prizes, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay, the latter two Dorians going to auteur Jane Campion.

Flee, the documentary utilizing graphic novel-style visuals to tell the harrowing story of a gay Afghan refugee, actually ran past Dog with four wins. The Neon/Participant film, produced in part by actors Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster- Waldau, won Best LGBTQ Film, two documentary awards and GALECA’s first- ever Best Animated Film honor.

Passing, director Rebecca Hall’s adaptation of the Nella Larsen novel about two female friends confronting racial and sexual identity issues in 1920s Harlem, was named Best Unsung Film. The poignant Japanese relationship drama Drive My

Car drove off with Best Non-English Language Film, while first-time director Lin- Manuel Miranda’s Tick, Tick... Boom!, starring Andrew Garfield as Rent’s much- missed creator Jonathan Larson, took Best Film Music. Director Denis Villeneuve’s eye-filling sci-fi adventure Dune, from Warner Brothers, took Most Visually Striking Film.

In individual categories, GALECA chose Kristen Stewart for Best Film Performance over 9 other contenders for her moody turn as Princess Diana in Spencer. Broadway’s Ariana DeBose, one of several breakouts in Steven Spielberg’s reimagining of West Side Story, grabbed both Best Supporting Performance and Rising Star honors.

Despite some bold and lively competition, Parallel Mothers director Pedro Almodóvar scored GALECA’s special Wilde Artist accolade—meant for “a truly groundbreaking force in film, theatre and/or television”—over Campion, Miranda, Lil Nas X and Jennifer Coolidge. In addition, Almodóvar was named GALECA’s latest LGBTQIA+ Trailblazer, a relatively new award reserved for those “creating art that inspires empathy, truth and equity.” Previous recipients are Pose favorite Mj Rodriguez and actress-filmmaker Isabel Sandoval.

Rita Moreno, the ever-vibrant film, stage, music and TV great—and West Side Story icon times two—became the group’s first Latino Timeless Star winner. Past winners of GALECA’s career achievement award include Jane Fonda, Sir Ian McKellen, John Waters, George Takei, Dame Angela Lansbury, Meryl Streep, Harvey Fierstein, Betty White and Meryl Streep.

Moreno, also stellar in such acclaimed films as the Tennessee Williams drama Summer and Smoke, the hit ‘80s comedy The Four Seasons and the unsung ‘90s treat I Like It Like That, more recently starred in the Dorian-nominated sitcom One Day at a Time. This is a special time for the Timeless Star: The 90-year-old charmer is the subject of the recent (Dorian Award-nominated) documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It.

As for GALECA’s signature Campiest Flick contest, that honor went to . . . House of Gucci.

First presented in 2010, GALECA’s Dorian Awards go to the best in film and TV, mainstream to queer+, at separate times of the year. GALECA consists of over 350 critics, journalists and broadcasters who work for some of the most prominent and influential media outlets in the United States, Canada, Australia

and the U.K. A nonprofit professional organization, the Society—via its

televised Toast awards specials, panels and 10 Best lists—continues to remind bigots, bullies and our own at-risk youth that the world loves the Q eye on great and unique entertainment.

Entertainment fans who appreciate the Society’s missions and doings are encouraged to subscribe to YouTube channel, where they can watch those star- studded Dorians specials and more. Follow us @DorianAwards on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Find more information at GALECA.org. Thank you.

DORIAN FILM AWARD WINNERS—FULL LIST 

BEST FILM

Drive My Car (Janus)

⭐ The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

The Worst Person in the World (Neon) 

Tick, Tick... Boom! (Netflix)

West Side Story (20th Century Studios) 

BEST LGBTQ FILM

Benedetta (IFC Films)

⭐ Flee (Neon, Participant)

Parallel Mothers (Sony Pictures Classics) 

Shiva Baby (Utopia)

The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

BEST NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM 

⭐ Drive My Car (Janus)

Flee (Neon, Participant)

Parallel Mothers (Sony Pictures Classics) 

The Worst Person in the World (Neon) 

Titane (Neon)

BEST UNSUNG FILM

Mass (Bleecker Street) 

⭐ Passing (Netflix) 

Shiva Baby (Utopia) 

The Green Knight (A24) 

Zola (A24)

BEST DIRECTOR

⭐ Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

Julia Ducournau, Titane (Neon)

Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car (Janus Films) (Janus)

Steven Spielberg, West Side Story (20th Century Studios)

Denis Villeneuve, Dune (Warner Bros.)

BEST SCREENPLAY

Drive My Car (Janus) - Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe (adapted) 

Passing (Netflix) - Rebecca Hall (adapted)

The Lost Daughter (Netflix) - Maggie Gyllenhaal (adapted)

⭐ The Power of the Dog (Netflix) - Jane Campion (adapted)

The Worst Person in the World (Neon) - Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier (original)

BEST FILM PERFORMANCE

Nicolas Cage, Pig (Neon)

Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Searchlight) 

Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter (Netflix)

Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog (Netflix) 

Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers (Sony Pictures Classics) 

Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick... Boom! (Netflix)

Renate Reinsve, The Worst Person in the World (Neon) 

Simon Rex, Red Rocket (A24)

⭐ Kristen Stewart, Spencer (Neon)

Tessa Thompson, Passing (Netflix)

BEST SUPPORTING FILM PERFORMANCE

⭐ Ariana DeBose, West Side Story (20th Century Studios) 

Robin de Jesús, Tick, Tick... Boom! (Netflix)

Colman Domingo, Zola (A24)

Ann Dowd, Mass (Bleecker Street)

Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

Mike Faist, West Side Story (20th Century Studios)

Troy Kotsur, CODA (Apple)

Ruth Negga, Passing (Netflix)

Martha Plimpton, Mass (Bleecker Street)

Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

BEST DOCUMENTARY

⭐ Flee (Neon, Participant)

Procession (Netflix)

Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It (Roadside Attractions) 

Summer of Soul (Searchlight, Hulu)

The Rescue (Greenwich Entertainment, National Geographic)

The Velvet Underground (Apple)

BEST LGBTQ DOCUMENTARY

Ailey (Neon)

⭐ Flee (Neon, Participant)

My Name is Pauli Murray (Amazon Studios)

Pray Away (Netflix)

Wojnarowicz: F**k You F*ggot F***er (Kino Lorber, World of Wonder) 

MOST VISUALLY STRIKING FILM

⭐ Dune (Warner Bros.)

Nightmare Alley (Searchlight)

Passing (Netflix)

The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

West Side Story (20th Century Studios)

Titane (Neon)

BEST ANIMATED FILM 

Belle (GKids)

Encanto (Disney)

⭐ Flee (Neon, Participant) 

Luca (Disney)

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (Netflix, Sony)

BEST FILM MUSIC 

Dune (Warner Bros.) 

Encanto (Disney) 

Spencer (Neon)

The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

⭐ Tick, Tick... Boom! (Netflix)

“WE’RE WILDE ABOUT YOU!” RISING STAR

⭐ Ariana DeBose

Alana Haim

Patti Harrison

Jasmin Savoy Brown

Rachel Zegler

WILDE ARTIST

(to a truly groundbreaking force in film, theatre and/or television)

⭐ Pedro Almodóvar 

Jane Campion

Jennifer Coolidge

Lil Nas X

Lin-Manuel Miranda 

CAMPIEST FLICK 

Annette (Amazon Studios) 

Cruella (Disney)

⭐ House of Gucci (United Artists) 

Malignant (Warner Bros.)

Old (Universal)

TIMELESS STAR

(to an actor or performer whose exemplary career is marked by character, wisdom and wit)

⭐ Rita Moreno

GALECA LGBTQIA+ FILM TRAILBLAZER

(for creating art that inspires empathy, truth and equity) 

⭐ Pedro Almodóvar

“The critic has to educate the public; the artist has to educate the critic.”

— Oscar Wilde