‘Power Of The Dog,’ ‘Flee’ Big Winners At GALECA’s Dorian Awards

Netflix’s period western The Power of the Dog was named Best Film of 2021  as well as Best Director and Best Screenplay honors going to Jane Campion by the 13th annual Dorian Awards presented by GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics. Flee, the animated documentary chronicling the story of a gay Afghan refugee scored four wins: Best LGBTQ Film, Best Documentary and Best LGBTQ Documentary awards and GALECA’s first- ever Best Animated Film honor. Since 2010, GALECA (which represents over 350 queer entertainment critics) has recognized the best in cinematic achievement from the past year including mainstream and LGBTQIA+ movies. In the performance categories, GALECA chose Kristen Stewart for Best Film Performance over 9 other contenders for her acclaimed turn as Princess Diana in Spencer.

Out actor Ariana DeBose, a stellar breakout in Steven Spielberg’s reimagining of West Side Story,  scored the trophy for Best Supporting Performance (as she has in practically all other film honors) as well as GALECA’s Rising Star honors. Speaking of West Side Story, Academy Award winner Rita Moreno, the ever-vibrant film, stage, music and TV icon was chosen as GALECA’s Timeless Star honoree. Moreno is the first Latino to be honored with the lifetime achievement award from the group. 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. And, of course, leave it to an organization of LGBTQ entertainment writers to recognize the year’s Campiest Flick. This year 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. Full disclosure: I am a proud voting member of GALECA. 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. For more information, head over to the official website. Here’s the full list of 2022 Dorian Film Award Winners: 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 (via press release)