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Gay Men’s Chorus concert, Touchstone Gallery exhibit and Oscar party

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The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington. (Photo courtesy of the Chorus)

ā€˜Let’s Hear It for the Boys!ā€™

That’s the title of the special Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington concert on Saturday to celebrate the repeal of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy barring gays and lesbians from openly serving in uniform. Sure, but “let’s hear it for the girls,” too, because they were also affected by this discriminatory law, enacted in 1993 and finally repealed and signed into law by President Obama late last year.

The concert is at 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday at the Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G Street N.W.

“We’re celebrating repeal,” says Jeff Burhrman, Chorus artistic director, “with our own stage door canteen in a swinging salute to GLBT men and women in uniform who have served, despite the policy that has denied them full equality.ā€

Major Mike Almy, discharged under DADT five years ago after 13 years in the Air Force and a leading activist for repeal who was a witness in the legal cases against the policy, will also speak. Joining the full chorus are the Rock Creek Singers, the Chorusā€™s chamber ensemble of 24 singers who belt out everything from traditional choral music to Broadway.

Songs will include the classic “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” a major hit by the Andrews Singers, an iconic World War II tune introduced by them in the 1941 Abbott and Costello film “Buck Privates,” and later reintroduced to a new generation of pop music fans in 1973 in Bette Midler’s version of the song. Another song, “Make Them Hear You,” from the 1993 Broadway hit musical Ragtime,” about the spirit to continue the fight through peaceful means, will also be featured, Buhrman says.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) will be honored with the Chorusā€™s 2011 Harmony Award for its legal counsel to LGBT servicemembers facing discharge and for its leadership role in getting repeal enacted.

Tickets are $35. Call 202-293-1548 or visit www.GMCW.org.

Shades of romance, ā€˜Color of Loveā€™

Love, exciting and new. That’s the theme of a special show in the visual arts, theĀ “Color of Love,” and mostly it’s scarlet, crimson, rouge, ruby, any name you want to give the color of red, in an exhibit by 50 artists with their many interpretations of the charismatic color and the emotions they signify ā€” perfectly timed for Valentine’s Day Monday, at the Touchstone Gallery, 901 New York Avenue N.W. It runs through Feb. 27.

Ksenia Grishkova, Russian-born director of the gallery, which is an artists’ collective established in 1976, says that “the materials and color palettes are as varied as their 50 heartfelt definitions of love.”

The media represented are in oils and acrylics, photography, sculpture, clay, wood and metals. Many of the artists also wrote haiku, the Japanese short form of poetry, to introduce their works.

Mary Lynch shows her stunning and erotic blood-red “Poppies for O’Keefe,” a reference to painter Georgia O’Keefe, boldly colored in both scarlet and ebony oils on a large canvas molded on a petal-shaped wooden frame, and introduced with her haiku: “Poppies for O’Keefe, words are not quite red enough, February cold.”

Meanwhile, gay artist Timothy Johnson shows a subtle sensuality, as well as a sly sense of a fun, in his “Under Belly,” a 30-by-40-inch acrylic on canvas, all in pale pinks showing the naked flesh of a man, his head, arms and torso depicted, enticing yet upside down.

For more information, see www.touchstonegallery.com.

Oscar party and a chance to see the short subjects

The Academy Awards are coming Feb. 27, and the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community has announced its sixth annual Oscar telecast-viewing party to be held that evening starting with a red carpet stroll at 7 p.m. at Town, 2009 8th St N.W.

Tickets are $50 for VIP access and $35 for general admission. Theyā€™re available at thedcenter.org. Tickets for $20 may also be purchased at the door, for standing-room-only access.

Don’t miss in the meantime seeing the Oscar-nominated short-subject films, so you have an inkling of what’s at stake and can even second guess the results when those envelopes are opened on the big night. These short films are usually difficult to see, but thanks to the Landmark E Street Cinema, at 11th and E Street N.W, you can watch them all, for one week beginning today, in two feature-length programs, one for the live-action and the other for the animation nominees.

Speaking of film, you can also see the dark comedy of how a film documentary crew can turn upside down the world of Aran Islands’ rural villagers living in 1934 on the tiny island of Inishmore when the cameras appear. But this production, “The Cripple of Inishmaan,” staged by the famed Irish theater company Druid with the help of New York Atlantic Theater, is not on the screen but on stage, and only through Saturday at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater.

The 1996 play, called “a subversive charmer” by the New York Times, written by Academy Award winner Martin McDonagh and directed by Tony Award winner Garry Hynes, tells of a young, orphaned “cripple” named Billy Claven who is selected for a part in the film, triggering his dreams of escape from rural isolation to take flight. Tickets from $25 to $69 are at 202-467-4600 or kennedy-center.org.

Another film is shown only tonight, Kareem J. Mortimer’s “Children of God,” in the Reel Affirmations extra monthly series of LGBT films, at the D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th Street N.W. This film has been called both tough and touching as it shows two men in Brazil who struggle with coming out. Shows are at 7 and 9:15 p.m. Tickets are $12, from 800-494-TIXS or visit boxofficetickets.com.

Finally, be sure to check out the fourth annual “Our City” film festival, the only festival that showcases D.C.-focused films, Saturday and Sunday at the Goethe Institute, 812 7th Street N.W.

“D.C. is so much more than monuments, politics and traffic,” says Kendra Rubinfeld, the festival’s founding director and a staff member of the sponsoring organization, Yachad (“together” in Hebrew), a D.C. nonprofit that works to bring communities together through service. Festival proceeds go for Yachad programming.

“We are screening 11 fantastic films this year that tell so many stories,” Rubinfeld says. They include a short film, “Types in Stereo,” directed by Gemal Woods, that in just 10 minutes tells about how humans can exist in multiple spaces, a film that brings the viewer in and out of the world of stereotypes; and the festival finale, “D.C. Cupcakes,” about the little M Street cupcakery, Georgetown Cupcakes, and the two baking sisters, Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, the “Cupcake Ladies” featured in the reality-TV show of that title, just beginning its second season on the TLC cable channel. The ladies will be present for Q&A after the screenings and also sell cupcakes at shows on Sunday at 7:30 and 9 p.m. For full schedule and tickets, visit ourcityfilmfestival.com

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Animated Oscar contender ā€˜Snailā€™ a bittersweet delight

Showcasing the power of kindness to help us endure difficult times

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A scene from 'Memoir of a Snail.' (Image courtesy of IFC Entertainment)

Even in a time when it has been well established that an animated film is not necessarily meant for children, you might expect one with the title ā€œMemoir of a Snailā€ to be something soft, sweet, and whimsical enough to be suitable for even the youngest of toddlers ā€“ but you canā€™t judge a film by its title, any more than you can a book by its cover.

One of 2024ā€™s most well-received films, animated or otherwise, this deceptively adorable feature from Australian animator Adam Elliott certainly fits part of the above description (the ā€œwhimsicalā€ part), but it could only be considered a childrenā€™s movie by someone who still thinks ā€œcartoonsā€ are just for kids. Elliott ā€“ whose 2003 film ā€œHarvie Krumpetā€ won the Oscar for Best Animated Short ā€“ is a filmmaker who uses animation (or more specifically, stop-motion ā€œclaymationā€) to tell semi-autobiographical stories, often about characters based on his own family and friends, and while his visual style might be cute enough to engage your toddler, the content of his narratives is unmistakably tailored for adults.

In this case, that narrative is centered on ā€“ and told in flashback by ā€“ one Grace Prudel (voiced as an adult by ā€œSuccessionā€ star Sarah Snook, and as a child by Charlotte Belsey and Agnes Davison), a girl who grows up in 1970s Melbourne with a twin brother named Gilbert (Mason Litsos/Kodi Smit-McPhee) under the care of their father, a former French animator (Dominique Pinon) with a fondness for roller coasters. When he dies and leaves them without support, the deeply bonded Grace and Gilbert are taken into the foster system and sent to live with families on opposite sides of the country. Grace, whose ā€œswingerā€ foster parents often leave her on her own, struggles with isolation and loneliness, while Gilbert suffers under the tyrannical rule of a fundamentalist religious couple who exploit all their children as free labor.

Eventually, Grace crosses paths with Pinky (Jacki Weaver), an elderly free spirit who takes on the role of mentor and helps her endure a number of hardships, including a disastrous wedding engagement and her continued separation from Gilbert; depressed, overweight, and increasingly seeking refuge with her collections of snails, romance novels, and guinea pigs ā€“ all of which serve as both consolation and distraction from her seemingly impossible dream of following in her fatherā€™s filmmaking footsteps ā€“ it is her bond with Pinky that may finally provide her with the lifeline to keep her hope alive.

Striking a delicate balance between sentiment and savvy, Elliottā€™s film ā€“ his first feature effort since 2009ā€™s ā€œMary and Maxā€ ā€“ bridges the gap expertly with just enough satirical exaggeration to avoid being maudlin, yet keeps its eye on the redemptive prize (despite the occasional Dickensian twist) by treating Grace with the kind of empathy that can only be achieved by putting the audience completely into her shoes. Without spoilers, we watch as she goes through multiple quirky-yet-relatable setbacks, reinforcing the connection with our own inner misfit by conjuring familiar (and potentially unifying) feelings of inadequacy ā€“ leading us, ideally, to forgive ourselves for our own perceived shortcomings.

Visually, ā€œMemoir of a Snailā€ evokes memories of many other stop-motion efforts, contrasting the inherent ā€œcutenessā€ of its style with the less-comforting content of its storyline. Resembling a tried-and-true ā€œWallace and Gromitā€ film (such as equally excellent fellow Oscar-nominee ā€œVengeance Most Foulā€) but decidedly more focused on the inner lives of its characters, it blends and contrasts a familiar and traditional form with an emotional honesty that disarms our cynicism. Mixed with its warm whimsy is an acknowledgement of lifeā€™s dark corners, a frank awareness that, sometimes, loss and sorrow happen and thereā€™s nothing to be done but to go through them ā€“ there are no fantastical inventions to ease Graceā€™s path, no tongue-in-cheek capers that can set things right and restore her world to some kind of happy status quo; like the rest of us, she must work through the darkness, not to get back to the way things were, but to arrive at a place where new things are possible ā€“ where the grief and sorrow that are inevitably woven into our life can be weathered and overcome, even if they canā€™t be avoided.

As to that grief and sorrow, ā€œMemoir of a Snailā€ touches on the universal; Graceā€™s struggles with loss and loneliness, the disappointments, humiliations, and outright betrayals she confronts, all hit close to home ā€“ the loss of loved ones, the loneliness of not fitting in, the trauma of being bullied and abused ā€“ and there are no easy answers to healing from them.Ā 

Yet melancholy as its tone may often feel, Elliottā€™s movie defies its own gravity with a wicked sense of humor and a sharp knack for commentary on the quirks and foibles of human behavior. Despite the grimness into which it sometimes must descend ā€“ which includes the depiction of shock treatment used for ā€œconversion therapyā€ by Gilbertā€™s homophobic foster family ā€“ it manages to maintain a light-hearted attitude, buoyed by a keen (and often ironic) sense of humor and an embrace of the inescapable absurdities of life, and emerge not only with acceptance but with hope that, with a little help from our friends, things do get better.

Itā€™s this message that infuses ā€œMemoirā€ with such a sense of humanity; it is through the special bonds she finds ā€“ including the ones she shares with her beloved snails ā€“ that Grace endures. The heart of the movie beats through her friendship with Pinky, a fellow ā€œmisfitā€ with the wisdom and kindness to renew her faith in life, and itā€™s that warmth and humanity that takes a tale of hardship and emotional suffering and turns it into one of the yearā€™s most delightful movies.

Visually lovely, with an array of memorable voice performances and a delicious balance of humor ranging from silly to the macabre, ā€œMemoir of a Snailā€ may not have the Disney appeal ā€“ nor the subject matter ā€“ to make it a good choice for children, but it has the candor and willingness to explore the darker places in our lives, the ā€œsacred woundsā€ that give our lives meaning, and the power of love to keep us in the light.

Nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, Elliottā€™s film is now streaming via multiple VOD platforms ā€“ and as much, if not more, worth your attention as any of the live action films competing in the other categories. After all, a movie about the power of kindness to help us endure difficult times is something most of us could probably use, right about now.

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Liza sparkles again in ā€˜Truly Terrificā€™ documentary

A reminder that the beloved icon remains a force to be reckoned with

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Liza Minnelli in ā€˜Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story.ā€™ (Photo courtesy of Atlas Media Corp. and Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber)

If you were alive in the 1970s, an awareness of Liza Minnelli probably feels hard-coded into your DNA.

Already famous on television by the time she was a young teen as the endearingly awkward and prodigiously gifted daughter of Judy Garland, having been regularly featured on her motherā€™s variety series, her explosion into the rarified strata of global stardom might have felt like sheer nepotism if not for the raw magnificence of her talents. Yes, she was uniquely ā€œluckyā€ to have been the progeny of Hollywood royalty, but for a generation that had already begun to view the nostalgic memories of its parentsā€™ youth through the filter of a more cynical worldview, that status might well have been an impediment to her success were it not for the undeniable verve and spirit of the persona that she brought with her when she performed. Whether in films like Bob Fosseā€™s masterful screen adaptation of ā€œCabaret,ā€ or performing live ā€“ an experience captured and immortalized in her unprecedented televised concert, ā€œLiza With a ā€˜Zā€™ā€ ā€“ or even in the arguably naive candor with which she conducted her private life in the public eye, there was something so infectiously real about Liza that even the most jaded of cultural pundits could not help but be on her side.

For gay men, who found in her a similar connection as they had found in her mother ā€“ an earnest, genuinely positive spirit attempting to navigate a complicated life and find a place of her own in a world that viewed such enthusiasm with skepticism and judgmental disdain ā€“ she became more than just a star. She was a free spirit who, in her struggle to overcome expectation and assert her own unique stamp on the world, became not only easily relatable, but a kindred spirit.

Itā€™s that special bond between Liza and her legion of gay superfans ā€“ make no mistake ā€“ that permeates ā€œLiza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story,ā€ the new documentary helmed by Bruce David Klein that debuted in front of enthusiastic crowds at last summerā€™s Tribeca Film Festival and is now rolling out in theaters across the country. Obviously a labor of love ā€“ for its subject, for her fans, and for the show business legacy that Minnelli has represented so tirelessly across her long career ā€“ designed to further cement the bond between a beloved icon and those who adore her, itā€™s a movie that wholly depends on the infectious charisma of its septuagenarian star. Eschewing any attempt at a comprehensive career retrospective, it puts the focus on the story of her life, and the pluckier-than-expected Liza emerges with a canny and self-aware authenticity, complemented by enough hard-earned comfort in her own skin to not only hook a built-in audience of lifelong worshipers but win over a whole new crowd of acolytes.

Picking up, significantly, with the passing of Garland, Klein crafts his movie as a more-orā€“less chronological exploration of the starā€™s storied career (and, to a lesser extent, her private life, which remains somewhat cloaked beneath an aura of seemingly genuine and easygoing acceptance) as it highlights the key artistic triumphs and personal partnerships in her life. That means audiences looking for a tell-all tabloid-style post-mortem on the starā€™s famously unsuccessful history of romance and marriage are likely to be disappointed. There are no scandalous tales, no bitterness, no trash-talking ā€“ save for that reserved for David Gest, a self-styled celebrity publicist and Minnelliā€™s fourth and final (to date, anyway) husband, who allegedly used their relationship as a means to exploit her financially ā€“ and no regrets to be aired.

Instead, the film and its still precocious 78-year-old star choose instead to turn their attention toward celebrating the various key collaborators with whom her career became symbiotically entwined. Hollywood vocal coach-turned powerhouse nightclub star Kay Thompson, who as her godmother served as a mentor for her after Garlandā€™s death; French singer Charles Aznavour, who helped hone her now-iconic performance style; lyricist Fred Ebb, who with composer and songwriting partner John Kander launched her Broadway stardom with their show ā€œFlora, the Red Menaceā€ and would continue to write signature songs for her throughout their career; director/choreographer Bob Fosse, who guided her to an Academy Award for her star-making performance in ā€œCabaretā€ and an Emmy for ā€œLiza With a ā€˜Zā€™ā€; and, of course, Halston, the era-shaping fashion designer who not only created her signature style but became her jet-set companion and running buddy for nights out at Studio 54.

There are others, too, like former flame-turned-lifelong friend Ben Vereen and more recent associate Michael Feinstein, all of whom show up for on-camera interviews to sing Lizaā€™s praises. Ultimately, though, itā€™s Liza that provides the best testimonial for herself, not with a litany of personal achievements but through her willingness to own up to ā€“ and shrug off ā€“ the mistakes she has made and to credit those who have helped to influence and shape her along the way. Brassy, generous, endlessly and authentically positive even when discussing the various missteps and low points that have marked her career, her extensive screen time gives her plenty of opportunity to show us that, even after a lifetime of struggling against scoliosis, bodily injury, and a well-publicized addiction to prescription drugs, the Liza we all know and love ā€“ endlessly positive, big-hearted, effusive in her praise of others and her appreciation for life, with a song or a show-biz story never far from her lips nor her heart ā€“ is exactly who she really is. That she is able to exude the same high spirited enthusiasm that has always been her trademark, despite the obvious toll exacted upon her by the years and the health challenges she has weathered, only makes us love her all the more.

That doesnā€™t mean that Kleinā€™s documentary completely avoids the dark places in Lizaā€™s life. Any attempt to tell her story would be incomplete without at least some discussion of her complicated relationship with ā€œMama,ā€ the pressure of forging a career in her famous shadow, or the inevitable parallels that can be drawn between their personal and professional lives, and the movie does go there ā€“ though it does so delicately, in a respectful and generalized manner, without lingering on details. Likewise, it touches on Minnelliā€™s problems with addiction, emphasizing resilience rather than scandal.

The result admittedly plays like a love letter, an effect underscored by the universally glowing comments from famous friends and fans interviewed oncreen, from the late Chita Rivera to gushing fanboy Darren Criss, as well as in the plentiful archival footage of her career highlights. If the subject were anyone but Liza Minnelli, one might almost suspect this glossy, entertaining portrait of trying to whitewash its subject ā€“ instead, it comes off not just as a well-deserved tribute, but a welcome reminder that she is, and always was, a force to be reckoned with.

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Queer critics announce nominees for Dorian Film Awards

Demi Moore continues to draw raves for ā€˜The Substanceā€™

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Demi Moore stars in ā€˜The Substance.ā€™ (Photo courtesy of MUBI)

We have to admit that, in a week like this one, writing about movies ā€“ or, even more so, movie awards ā€“ feels a little bit irrelevant.

Even so, the Blade would be remiss if we didnā€™t report that the nominations for the 16th Annual Dorian Awards have been announced by GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, not just in the name of maintaining normalcy but as a reminder of the importance and influence of the ā€œQ+ eyeā€ within the arts and entertainment sphere. After all, weā€™ve been leading pop culture as tastemakers ever since there has been a pop culture. And while the Dorian votersā€™ choices donā€™t always line up exactly with those of the higher-profile mainstream awards bodies, they reflect a strong counter-cultural perspective that feels ahead of the curve when it comes to singling out underappreciated gems, seemingly predicting ā€“ or proclaiming ā€“ the trends and topics rising in the public consciousness before the film industry itself seems to catch on.

This yearā€™s crop of nominees especially highlights this ā€œmaverickā€ insight, omitting many of the front-running choices in the annual awards season in favor of niche-y (but timely) ā€œgenreā€ films that are typically disregarded by organizations like the Golden Globes or the Oscars. Indeed, the Doriansā€™ two most-nominated titles ā€“ filmmaker Jane Jane Schoenbrunā€™s ā€œI Saw the TV Glowā€ and Coralie Fargeatā€™s ā€œThe Substanceā€ ā€“ are horror films, reflecting a growing critical appreciation for the genre among a rising younger generation of queer film commentators, as well as within the larger cinephile community itself.

The Dorian Awards ā€” named after the title character in ā€œThe Picture of Dorian Gray,ā€ written by queer literary and theater icon Oscar Wilde, in whose honor the awards are named ā€” differ from other awards in that they divide the top film prizes into multiple categories, and further offer separate awards in several of those divisions for mainstream or LGBTQ movies. At the same time, the performance awards are not divided by gender; rather, the prizes are designated for lead and supporting performances, with actors of all genders competing together for a single prize in each category. In addition, there are a number of awards unique to the Dorians, such as Best Genre Film, Best Unsung Film, and Campiest Film.

Leading this yearā€™s nominations with a total of nine is ā€œI Saw the TV Glow,ā€ a surreal, trans-themed horror allegory largely ignored by the other awards groups; with nominations for both Best Film and Best LGBTQ Film, plus nods for Schoenbrunā€™s direction and screenplay and the performances of stars Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Pain in the Lead and Supporting Performance categories, respectively. In addition, itā€™s a contender for the Doriansā€™ ā€œMost Visually Strikingā€ award, which celebrates the overall ā€œlookā€ of a filmā€™s design.

Coming in second with eight nods, darkly satirical body-horror thriller ā€œThe Substanceā€ competes as Best, Campiest, Genre, and Most Visually Striking film, with additional nominations including Best Performance (Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, in Lead and Supporting categories, respectively) and nods for its direction and screenplay as well.

Somewhat surprisingly, acclaimed trans mobster musical ā€œEmilia PĆ©rezā€ was omitted from the Doriansā€™ Film of the Year category, despite being a front-running contender in other major awards races ā€“ though it still claimed six nominations, including LGBTQ Film, Non-English-Language Film, and LGBTQ Non-English Language Film, and Performance nods for breakout transgender star Karla SofĆ­a GascĆ³n and co-star Zoe SaldaƱa. Also with six nods is ā€œChallengers,ā€ Luca Guadagninoā€™s bisexual-themed tennis romance, which scored in both the Best Film and LGBTQ Film, among others; ā€œThe Brutalist,ā€ director Brady Corbettā€™s epic saga of a Jewish Holocaust survivorā€™s rise to success as an architect in post-WWII America, grabbed five, including nods for Best and Most Visually Striking Film, Corbettā€™s direction, and Adrien Brodyā€™s career-topping lead performance.

Other films with multiple nominations were ā€œChallengersā€ (five), ā€œAnora,ā€ ā€œNickel Boys,ā€ and ā€œWickedā€ (four each), and ā€œProblemistaā€ and ā€œQueerā€ (three each). Guadagnino also helmed the latter, an adaptation of William S. Burroughsā€™ gritty novella about an aging American ex-pat in 1950s Mexico City filmmaker, which scored a Best Lead Performance nom for star Daniel Craig and made the list for both Best LGBTQ Film and LGBTQ Screenplay, but did not earn him a Best Director nomination ā€“ though he did make the cut for the ā€œChallengers.ā€

Other noteworthy titles in GALECAā€™s awards lineup include the inventive faux-silent slapstick comedy ā€œHundreds of Beaversā€ (nominated both as Campiest and Best Unsung Film of the Year); ā€œSing Singā€ (which earned nods for both its star, out queer actor Colman Domingo, and real-life convict turned movie star Clarence Maclin; Robert Eggersā€™ stylish reimagination of the silent classic ā€œNosferatuā€ (riding the pro-horror wave to compete in both Best Genre and Most Visually Striking Film categories); and trans-centric competitors ā€œThe Peopleā€™s Joker,ā€ ā€œNational Anthemā€ (both up for Unsung LGBTQ Film), and ā€œWill & Harperā€ (Best Documentary and LGBTQ Documentary), all providing a timely counterpoint to the real-world transphobia currently being deployed as a political wedge in American politics.

Of course, alongside all these queer-themed contenders, there are still plenty of competitors also in the running for the remaining high-profile awards ā€“ such as ā€œWickedā€ and its leading players, ā€œConclave,ā€ and the aforementioned ā€œAnoraā€ and ā€œSing Sing.ā€ Any of these nominees could end up winners, too, which is part of what makes the Dorians a singular entity in the annual awards race.

In addition to revealing the Dorian nominees, GALECA also announced that it would donate $1,000 to The Los Angeles Press Clubā€™s emergency relief fund, earmarked for entertainment journalists directly affected by the historically devastating wildfires that have destroyed vast swaths LA and left thousands of residents homeless.

In a statement, GALECA Executive Director John Griffiths said, ā€œEntertainment journalists are an obviously integral part of the Hollywood ecosystem, and we want to make sure they arenā€™t forgotten in whatā€™s already a very tough environment for those in our profession.ā€ Vice President Diane Anderson-Minshall added, ā€œWe applaud our friends at the Press Club and its sister organization the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards for coming to our brethrenā€™s need.ā€ 

Professional journalists whose main livelihood involves entertainment criticism, editing and/or reportage can apply for help at lapressclub.org. Additional donations may be made there as well.

The winners of the 16th Dorian Film Awards ā€“ which also include signature special awards for Rising Star, Timeless Star, Film Trailblazer, and the Wilde Artist Award ā€“ will be announced on February 13.

GALECA: THE SOCIETY OF LGBTQ ENTERTAINMENT CRITICS

16TH DORIAN FILM AWARDS LIST OF NOMINEES 

FILM OF THE YEAR

Anora (Neon)

Challengers  (Amazon MGM Studios)

I Saw the TV Glow (A24)

Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)

The Substance (Mubi)

LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR

Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios)

Emilia PerƩz (Netflix)

I Saw the TV Glow (A24)

Love Lies Bleeding (A24)

Queer (A24)

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Brady Corbet, The Brutalist (A24)

Coralie Fargeat, The Substance (Mubi)

Luca Guadagnino, Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios)

RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)

Jane Schoenbrun, I Saw the TV Glow (A24)

SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR 

ā€” Original or adapted

Anora (Neon)

Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios)

Conclave (Focus Features)

I Saw the TV Glow (A24)

The Substance (Mubi)

LGBTQ SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR

Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios)

I Saw the TV Glow (A24)

Love Lies Bleeding (A24)

Problemista (A24)

Queer (A24)

NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR

All We Imagine as Light (Sideshow / Janus Films)

Emilia PerƩz (Netflix)

Flow (Sideshow / Janus Films)

Iā€™m Still Here (Sony Pictures Classics)

The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Neon)

LGBTQ NON-ENGLISH FILM OF THE YEAR

Crossing (Mubi)

Emilia PerƩz (Netflix)

Queendom (Greenwich Entertainment)

Vermiglio (Sideshow / Janus Films)

All Shall Be Well (Strand Releasing) 

UNSUNG FILM OF THE YEAR

ā€”To an exceptional movie worthy of greater attention

Didi (Focus Features)

Hundreds of Beavers (Cineverse, Vinegar Syndrome)

My Old Ass (Amazon MGM Studios)

Problemista (A24)

Thelma (Magnolia)

UNSUNG LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR

Femme (Utopia)

My Old Ass (Amazon MGM Studios)

National Anthem (Variance, LD Entertainment)

The Peopleā€™s Joker (Altered Innocence)

Problemista (A24)

FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Adrien Brody, The Brutalist (A24)

Daniel Craig, Queer (A24)

Colman Domingo, Sing Sing (A24)

Karla SofĆ­a GascĆ³n, Emilia PerĆ©z (Netflix) 

Cynthia Erivo, Wicked (Universal)

Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths (Bleecker Street)

Nicole Kidman, Babygirl (A24)

Mikey Madison, Anora (Neon)

Demi Moore, The Substance (Mubi)

Justice Smith, I Saw the TV Glow (A24)

SUPPORTING FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Michele Austin, Hard Truths (Bleecker Street)

Yura Borisov, Anora (Neon)

Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (Searchlight Pictures)

Ariana Grande, Wicked (Universal)

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)

Brigette Lundy-Paine, I Saw the TV Glow (A24)

Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing (A24)

Guy Pearce, The Brutalist (A24)

Margaret Qualley, The Substance (Mubi)

Zoe SaldaƱa, Emilia PerƩz (Netflix)

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR

Dahomey (Mubi)

Daughters (Netflix)

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)

Sugarcane (National Geographic)

Will & Harper (Netflix)

LGBTQ DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR

Chasing Chasing Amy (Level 33)

Frida (Amazon MGM Studios)

Merchant Ivory (Cohen Media Group)

Queendom (Greenwich Entertainment)

Will & Harper (Netflix)

ANIMATED FILM OF THE YEAR

Flow (Sideshow / Janus Films)

Inside Out 2 (Disney)

Memoir of a Snail (IFC Films)

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Netflix)

The Wild Robot (Universal, DreamWorks)

GENRE FILM OF THE YEAR

For excellence in science fiction, fantasy and horror

Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros.)

I Saw the TV Glow (A24)

Nosferatu (Focus Features)

The Substance (Mubi)

Wicked (Universal)

FILM MUSIC OF THE YEAR

The Brutalist (A24)

Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios)

Emilia PerƩz (Netflix)

I Saw the TV Glow (A24)

Wicked (Universal)

VISUALLY STRIKING FILM OF THE YEAR

The Brutalist (A24)

Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros.)

Nosferatu (Focus Features)

Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)

The Substance (Mubi)

CAMPIEST FLICK 

Hundreds of Beavers (Cineverse, Vinegar Syndrome)

Madame Web (Sony)

Megalopolis (Lionsgate)

The Substance (Mubi)

Trap (Warner Bros.)

ā€œWEā€™RE WILDE ABOUT YOU!ā€ RISING STAR AWARD

Jonathan Bailey

Vera Drew

Karla SofĆ­a GascĆ³n 

Brigette Lundy-Paine

Mikey Madison

Katy Oā€™Brian

Drew Starkey

WILDE ARTIST AWARD

To a truly groundbreaking force in entertainment

Colman Domingo

Luca Guadagnino

Coralie Fargeat

Jane Schoenbrun

Tilda Swinton

GALECA LGBTQIA+ FILM TRAILBLAZER

For creating art that inspires empathy, truth and equity

Vera Drew

Cynthia Erivo

Luca Guadagnino

Jane Schoenbrun

Julio Torres

TIMELESS STAR (Career achievement award)

Honoring an exemplary career marked by character, wisdom and wit

To be announced February 13 with all winners.

Nomination counts per studio:

Altered Innocence – 1 

Amazon/MGM + Orion – 13

A24 – 25

Bleecker Street – 2

Cineverse / Vinegar Syndrome – 2

Cohen Media Group – 1 

Disney – 1

Focus Features – 4

Greenwich Entertainment – 2

IFC – 1 

Level 33 – 1 

Lionsgate – 1

Magnolia – 1 

Mubi – 10

National Geographic – 1

Neon – 5

Netflix – 11

Searchlight -1 

Sideshow / Janus Films – 4 

Sony – 1

Sony Pictures Classics – 1

Strand – 1

Universal  – 5

Utopia – 1

Variance / LD Entertainment – 1 

Warner Bros. – 3 

About GALECA & The Dorian Awards

Formed in 2009, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics honors the best in film, television and Broadway/Off Broadway, mainstream to LGBTQIA+, via the Dorian Awards. A 501 c 6 nonprofit, GALECA serves to remind bigots, bullies and our own beleaguered communities that the world looks to the informed Q+ eye on entertainment. The organization also advocates for better pay, access and respect for its members, especially those in our most underrepresented and vulnerable segments. GALECAā€™s efforts also include the Crimson Honors, a college film/TV criticism contest for LGBTQ women or nonbinary students of color. 

See our members’ latest reviews, commentary and interviews, along with looks at entertainmentā€™s past, on Bluesky and elsewhere @DorianAwards. GALECAā€™s YouTube channel features the group’s past Dorians film and TV Toast awards specials, video chats with filmmakers and performers, plus talks with members about their latest books and more. Find out more at GALECA.org.

GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment journalists is a core member of CGEM: Critics Groups for Equality in Media, an alliance of underrepresented entertainment journalists organizations.

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