LGBTQ Artists Deliver Heartfelt Speeches as They Take Home Top Honors
The Gotham Film & Media Institute celebrated the 34th edition of its annual awards ceremony on Monday, honoring outstanding achievements in independent filmmaking. The event, held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, spotlighted emerging talent and industry excellence and awarded two LGTBQ+ talents on Tuesday night.
Writer and director Vera Drew took home the Breakthrough Director award for The People’s Joker, while actor Colman Domingo won Outstanding Lead Performance for his role in Sing Sing.
Vera Drew’s speech was hilarious and the director thanked Warner Bros. for “not suing” her and credits Nicole Kidman in ‘Batman Forever’ as the moment she realized she was trans.
Colman Domingo gave a heartfelt speech giving credit to the others that he worked with on the film and asking them to stand up and stating that the award was for them, his colleagues.
The Gothams are known for recognizing and promoting visionary storytellers across disciplines, including writers, directors, producers, and actors. Nominees are chosen by committees of film critics, journalists, festival programmers, and curators, with winners selected by independent juries composed of industry professionals.
This year’s Breakthrough Director jury included Kisha Imani Cameron, Geoffrey Fletcher, Sydney Sweeney, Alex Thompson, and Charlotte Wells. The Outstanding Lead Performance jury featured Lake Bell, Don Cheadle, Anthony Michael Hall, Pamela Koffler, and Joana Vicente.
