Dorian Awards offer up a very international set of nominees!

by Nathaniel R

The Society for LGBTQ Entertainment Critics has released its annual Dorian Awards nominations for the 2021 Film year. Full disclosure, a few of us here at The Film Experience are members of this society. The Power of the Dog led the nominations with 9 but I'm shocked and delighted that so many films from my own top ten list and honorable mentions were honored in some capacity, particularly Passing and The Worst Person in the World which were hardly sure things. In fact I've never been so pleased with the Dorian Awards which went quite international this year. Just look at the spectacular "Best Film" and "Best LGBTQ Film" lineups...

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)

Nice to see Benedetta honored somewhere as it's been underdiscussed since release.

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) 

Five very high profile titles (as these things go) but they're all good pictures. No notes just praise!

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)

I understand why the organization moved to non-gendered categories but I'll admit I dont personally like doing it this way since it means less actors winning awards and too many nominees in the same category. There's only 1 of 20 performance that I dont care for and I fully understand I'm in the distinct minority there (that'd be Kristen Stewart in Spencer)

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) 

Wonderful wonderful acting lists and note how similar it is to my own ballot. The only supporting performance I voted for that didn't make the list was Kathryn Hunter in Tragedy of Macbeth.

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)

Voting must have been close as there are six nominees. Another strong list. Glenn will be pleased to see Procession here since it topped his list of the 25 Best Documentaries of 2021. 

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)

Thrilled that Wojnarowicz was included. You know I voted for it but I didn't actually think it would be nominated. 

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)

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THESE NOMINATIONS? 

Comments

[Robert G]

Malignant better win campiest film. They knew exactly what they were doing with that idea and leaned into it every chance they had.

[McGill]

I’ve seen all the Best Films, which deepens my appreciation and satisfaction with the nominations.

It makes me hope the Oscars will keep to a later date in the season. When people have actually had months to see the films involved, it’s much more exciting. Then their minds are filled with the artistry and the themes of the movies, rather than the publicity and hustle around them.

[Tony L]

Simon Rex AND Martha Plimpton!! Thank you thank you thank you ;)

[Philip H.]

They honestly made great choices in the acting categories - and I appreciate their unsung film choices as well.