Now that we have well and truly been submersed in the lukewarm media bath that is awards season, I thought I would take the opportunity to highlight an award show that often goes unnoticed in all the excitement this time of year. We’re probably all aware of The Oscars and The Golden Globes, but there are many other awards that commemorate the artists, craftspeople, skilled technicians, composers, and other workers who collaborate to do this impossible thing of creating short-form or full-length screen content. I’m focusing on The Dorians this time around, but I will include links to other lesser-known award shows at the end of this post. As always, items that are available in our catalogue are linked throughout, so feel free to “check out” what these more obscure but just as valid awards have highlighted as the best of the best from 2023.
Dorian Awards
The Dorian Awards are nominated and selected by GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics. The name was coined as an homage to poet, playwright, and author Oscar Wilde, the famed writer of The Picture of Dorian Gray and now something of a queer icon. Dorian Award categories include standards like Film of the Year, Director of the Year, and Film Performance of the Year, but they also spotlight LGBTQ storylines, characters, and creators.
It’s interesting to note that some of the perceived snubs of this year’s Oscars nominations have been avoided by The Dorians. With a nod to Greta Gerwig for not only Director of the Year but “Wilde Artist Award (To a truly groundbreaking force in entertainment),” the merits of her directing have clearly been recognized by the society’s members. I have to say, I am in complete agreement. I was a big fan of Barbie when I saw it in theatres. It effectively communicates an important feminist message while being hilarious and incredibly fun to watch. I also just recently re-watched Frances Ha, which is another one of Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s excellent collaborations. One thing I noticed that I missed the first time around is that Gerwig’s connection to Sacramento — fully realized in Lady Bird — is there in Frances Ha as well, when the eponymous protagonist flees New York for her hometown over the holidays. That’s one of my favourite parts of the film — days of merriment, traditions, and intense familial contact condensed down to one extended montage. Then, the moment when Gerwig flies back to New York, looking back at her parents from the top of the escalator, tears in her eyes.
There are so many reasons both Barbie and Gerwig should have received more recognition than they did. Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that the Dorians were the ones to acknowledge them, as representation was clearly important for the film’s creators. Several actors of colour were included in the cast, as well as trans model and actor Hari Nef. If Oscars Academy members can’t take the film seriously because it’s about a toy, then their imaginations are disappointingly limited.
Another perceived Oscars snub was against Celine Song, director of the softly stunning Past Lives (written about at length by yours truly here). It does seem like directing is something it’s hard for women to receive recognition for at the Oscars. There have only been three Best Director Oscars given to women in the awards’ 96 years of existence. Here again, The Dorians take the opposite stance, nominating Song for Director of the Year. Lead actress Greta Lee is honoured as well, which is well deserved. Her performance was remarkable in its reserved strength. One thing I only touched upon in my previous blog post on the film is just how autobiographical it really is. Not only is the director’s experience of coming to Canada and then the US captured in the narrative, but also her relationship with her husband, Justin Kuritzkes. The latter is a playwright and writer himself — a truly creative couple. Speaking of Kuritzkes, he penned Luca Guadagnino’s newest flick that features Zendaya as a former tennis star now bent on improving her husband’s track record in the sport. When it’s released, it’s going to occupy a large spot on the media landscape, that’s for sure.
The full list of Dorian Award nominations are available here, but I wanted to share a few of their unique categories. If we do not have the nominated title in our catalogue, I have linked to another work associated with the creator/performer.
Unsung Film of the Year
To an exceptional movie worthy of greater attention
- Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. (Lionsgate)
- Monica (IFC Films)
- Origin (NEON)
- Theater Camp (Searchlight Pictures)
- A Thousand and One (Focus Features)
LGBTQ Film of the Year
- All of Us Strangers (Searchlight Pictures)
- Bottoms (MGM)
- Passages (MUBI)
- Rustin (Netflix)
- Saltburn (Amazon MGM)
GALECA LGBTQIA+ Film Trailblazer Award
For creating art that inspires empathy, truth and equity
Lesser-Known Award Shows
Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Nominations
Director’s Guild of America Awards (Rightful recognition for Celine Song and Greta Gerwig included).
The Society of Composers & Lyricists
Costume Designers Guild Awards
Society of Camera Operators (Check out the society’s online publication with features on some of the industry’s biggest camera operators here).
Let me know if you’ve seen any of these movies or have plans to give them a go. What movies or shows would you like to see nominated for an award? I’ll see you again this time next month!