‘The Power of the Dog’ Takes Top Prize at GALECA’s Dorian Awards

Jane Campion can add more awards to her mantle for The Power of the Dog. Her latest film, which recently won Best Picture at both BAFTA and Critics Choice, has been selected as the film of the year by the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA). It also won for Campion in Director and for Screenplay. Flee actually took home the most Dorian Awards with four, including Best LGBTQ Film and Best Documentary.

Kristen Stewart and Ariana DeBose took home the two acting awards (GALECA honors 10 performers in two separate, non-gendered categories). DeBose also took GALECA’s We’re Wilde About You Rising Star Award. To no one’s surprise, House of Gucci was awarded this year’s Campiest Flick. Passing, Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut, missed out on any Oscar nominations, but took home the award for Best Unsung Film.

Below you will find the official press release and winner’s list.

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 starstudded Dorians specials and more. Follow us @DorianAwards on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Find more information at GALECA.org.

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