Queer stories have always found a home in independent film, and this past year was no different.
Our crop of Queerties nominees for 2022’s best Indie Movie represent a diverse selection of LGBTQ+ voices (many of them first-time feature filmmakers) from all over the world. Even if they didn’t get the blockbuster rollout, these are all stories worthy of the big screen. Here’s your chance to get caught up.
Voting for the 2023 Queerties is officially open.
Scroll down below to learn more about this year’s 10 nominees, and—once you’ve had a chance to check them out for yourself—click on the corresponding icon to vote for your favorite.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Voting runs now through February 21. You can vote once per day per device in each category. Winners will be announced live at a special reception in Los Angeles on February 28 and on Queerty the following morning. Use hashtag #Queerties to share your votes and help promote your favorites.
Benediction
Accomplished gay filmmaker Terence Davies turns his lens on noted British poet Siegfried Sassoon, a WWI veteran who struggled to come to terms with his homosexuality. Jack Lowden is astounding as the haunted writer, and the film excels in its depiction of a lively gay scene hiding just beyond closed doors.
Streaming now via Hulu and Kanopy. Also available on digital/VOD platforms.
Close
This Best International Feature Oscar nominee comes from award-winning Belgian director Lukas Dhont. Its heartbreaking but moving story follows the intimate yet innocent friendship between two teenaged boys and the tragic distance that grows between them when their bond receives unwanted attention at school.
Now playing in select U.S. theaters.
Firebird
Tom Prior co-writes and stars in this period piece based on a true story of forbidden love. In Soviet era Russia, a young private (Prior) falls for a fighter pilot (Oleg Zagorodnii) on his base, and the two enter into a secret, years-long gay affair that, if found out, would threaten their livelihoods—and lives.
Streaming now via Amazon Prime Video. Also available on digital/VOD platforms.
Girl Picture
A coming-of-age tale about three young women who fight off the dark winter doldrums by confiding in one another. Across three Fridays, we watch as they navigate friendships, relationships, and the confusing mess that is growing up. This Finnish charmer won the Audience Award at last year’s Sundance.
Available to rent/own through digital and VOD platforms.
Joyland
Nearly banned in Pakistan due to its exploration of queer themes—and its standout supporting role for the incredible trans actress Alina Khan—Joyland is a remarkable family saga that shows what happens when progress comes knocking at the door of traditional patriarchal values.
After playing at various film festivals, Joyland will receive a U.S. theatrical release this April.
Please Baby Please
Chameleonic Oscar nominee Andrea Riseborough gives another revelatory performance in this neon-hued, quasi-musical genre pastiche about a couple that explores their deepest desires and fantasies after a run-in with a dangerous, genderqueer biker gang. Both erotic and hilarious, it’s one wild ride.
Available to rent/own through digital and VOD platforms.
The Swimmer
Part of a surprisingly long line of gay sports drama, The Swimmer dives into the life of Israeli athlete Erez (Omer Perelman Striks) who has big dreams of Olympic gold. But he finds himself distracted by training partner Nevo (Asaf Jonas) and their coach who exploits their chemistry to drive a wedge between them.
Available to rent/own through digital and VOD platforms.
Three Months
Filmmaker Jared Frieder’s debut feature takes its title from the amount of time one has to wait for results when being tested for HIV in 2011, when the movie is set. Despite the heavy subject matter, the dramedy is full of life and humor and swooning romance, with a fantastic star turn from pop idol Troye Sivan (who contributes to the killer soundtrack, too).
Streaming exclusively on Paramount+.
We’re All Going To The World’s Fair
When Casey (Anna Cobb) decides to spend her lonely days immersing herself in a viral online challenge, she gets lost in her own reality. Trans-nonbinary filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun’s mind-bending and atmospheric horror explores teenagerdom and gender dysphoria through the language of the internet.
Streaming exclusively on HBO Max.
Wildhood
This romantic road movie follows a young Indigenous man named Link (Phillip Lewitski) who ventures across Mi’kma’ki territory of Nova Scotia in search of his mother, falling for pow wow dancer Pasmay (Joshua Odjick) along the way. Wildhood marks two-spirit writer-director Bretten Hannam’s stunning feature debut.
Streaming exclusively on Hulu.
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