The Substance (c) MUBI
Thursday Feb 13, 2025 - Los Angeles - GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, counting more than 500 entertainment critics, journalists and media icons, has announced the winners of its Dorian Film Awards. Writer-director Coralie Fargeat’s shocking Hollywood satire The Substance was crowned Film of the Year, with the Mubi release taking five Dorians in all, including star Demi Moore for Film Performance of the Year and Fargeat for Film Director of the Year.
Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun’s thought-provoking horror tale I Saw the TV Glow, which had lead the Dorian hunt with 9 nominations, took LGBTQ Film of the Year as well as LGBTQ screenplay honors. Will & Harper, the irresistible road-trip documentary charting actor Will Ferrell’s enduring friendship with trans comedy writer Harper Steele, won both Documentary of the Year and LGBTQ Documentary. And GALECA members showed 40-love for Challengers, director Luca Guadagnino’s homoerotic spin on Jules and Jim. The film’s writer Justin Kuritzkes earned Screenplay of the Year, while rock legends Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for their tension-building techno score.
Wicked fans will be pleased that Dorian voters held plenty of space for the musical fantasy’s stars. The group gave Ariana Grande a pinky hug for Supporting Film Performance of the Year, Jonathan Bailey was named Rising Star, and Cynthia Erivo—who plays misunderstood, green-skinned heroine Elphaba Thropp in the hit—won LGBTQIA+ Film Trailblazer. Past recipients of the latter honor—which is meant for an artist who “inspires empathy, truth and equity”—include Janelle Monáe, Pedro Almodóvar, Isabel Sandoval and Colman Domingo.
“In our 16th year, GALECA’s members still have wicked fun toasting their favorites in film both mainstream and LGBTQ-themed,” said group president Walt Hickey. Added vice president Diane Anderson-Minshall, “I’m certain even some ultra-conservatives who are out to erase all sorts of ‘woke’ words and letters—not to mention history—are secretly taking note of our winners. Everyone appreciates the expert Q+ eye on entertainment.”
I Saw the TV Glow (c) A24
GALECA: THE SOCIETY OF LGBTQ ENTERTAINMENT CRITICS
16TH DORIAN FILM AWARDS
FILM OF THE YEAR
Anora
Challengers
I Saw the TV Glow
Nickel Boys
⭐️ The Substance
LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR
Challengers
Emilia Pérez
⭐️ I Saw the TV Glow
Love Lies Bleeding
Queer
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
⭐️ Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Luca Guadagnino, Challengers
RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys
Jane Schoenbrun, I Saw the TV Glow
SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR
Sean Baker, Anora
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
⭐️ Justin Kuritzkes, Challengers
Jane Schoenbrun, I Saw the TV Glow
Peter Straughan, Conclave
LGBTQ SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR
Rose Glass and Weronika Tofilska, Love Lies Bleeding
Justin Kuritzkes, Challengers
Justin Kuritzkes, Queer
⭐️ Jane Schoenbrun, I Saw the TV Glow
Julio Torres, Problemista
I'm Still Here (c) Sony Pictures Classics
NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
All We Imagine as Light
Emilia Pérez
Flow
⭐️ I’m Still Here
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
LGBTQ NON-ENGLISH FILM OF THE YEAR
Crossing
⭐️ Emilia Pérez
Queendom
Vermiglio
All Shall Be Well
UNSUNG FILM OF THE YEAR
—To an exceptional movie worthy of greater attention
Didi
Hundreds of Beavers
My Old Ass
⭐️ Problemista
Thelma
UNSUNG LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR
Femme
My Old Ass
National Anthem
⭐️ The People’s Joker
Problemista
FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Daniel Craig, Queer
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Nicole Kidman, Babygirl
Mikey Madison, Anora
⭐️ Demi Moore, The Substance
Justice Smith, I Saw the TV Glow
SUPPORTING FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Michele Austin, Hard Truths
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
⭐️ Ariana Grande, Wicked
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys
Jack Haven, I Saw the TV Glow
Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Margaret Qualley, The Substance
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Will & Harper (c) Netflix
DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
Dahomey
Daughters
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Sugarcane
⭐️ Will & Harper
LGBTQ DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
Chasing Chasing Amy
Frida
Merchant Ivory
Queendom
⭐️ Will & Harper
ANIMATED FILM OF THE YEAR
⭐️ Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
GENRE FILM OF THE YEAR
For excellence in science fiction, fantasy and horror
Dune: Part Two
I Saw the TV Glow
Nosferatu
⭐️ The Substance
Wicked
Challengers (c) Amazon MGM Studios
FILM MUSIC OF THE YEAR
The Brutalist - Daniel Blumberg
⭐️ Challengers - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Emilia Pérez - Clément Ducol and Camille
I Saw the TV Glow - Alex G
Wicked - John Powell and Stephen Schwartz
VISUALLY STRIKING FILM OF THE YEAR
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
⭐️ Nickel Boys
The Substance
CAMPIEST FLICK
Hundreds of Beavers
Madame Web
Megalopolis
⭐️ The Substance
Trap
Richard II (c) Bridge Theatre
“WE’RE WILDE ABOUT YOU!” RISING STAR AWARD
⭐️ Jonathan Bailey
Vera Drew
Karla Sofía Gascón
Jack Haven
Mikey Madison
Katy O’Brian
Drew Starkey
WILDE ARTIST AWARD
To a truly groundbreaking force in entertainment
⭐️ Colman Domingo
Luca Guadagnino
Coralie Fargeat
Jane Schoenbrun
Tilda Swinton
Wicked (c) Universal
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)
⭐️ Demi Moore
Wins per studio:
Altered Innocence - 1
Amazon/MGM/Orion 3
A24 - 3
Mubi - 5
Netflix - 3
Sideshow / Janus Films - 1
Sony Pictures Classics - 1
Universal - 1
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. GALECA’s efforts also include the Crimson Honors, a college film/TV criticism contest for LGBTQ women or nonbinary students of color.
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