The GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Limited Release is an annual award that honors films that received a limited release for excellence in the depiction of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) characters and themes. It is one of several categories of the annual GLAAD Media Awards, which are presented by GLAAD—an American non-governmental media monitoring organization—at ceremonies held primarily in New York City and Los Angeles between March and May.
The award was first given as Outstanding Independent Film at the 7th GLAAD Media Awards in 1996 to The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love, where a clear distinction was made between films that received a limited release versus a wide release. It would be retitled to its current name during the following year. Previously, The Wedding Banquet was given a Vito Russo Film Award at the 5th GLAAD Media Awards in 1994, in a separate category from Outstanding Studio Film. GLAAD considers both The Wedding Banquet and The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love as part of this category. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema, during the ceremonies in 2021 and 2022, the category also included films supposed to receive a theatrical release, but ended up airing on television or streaming services instead. Starting with the 2023 ceremony, due to the reorganization of the categories, this award now excludes streaming films.
For a film to be eligible, it must be released by a recognized film distribution company and play for paid admission in Los Angeles for seven consecutive days. Limited release is defined by a combination of criteria such as the numbers of screens, budget, and visibility. The award is given to the film and may be accepted by any of the producers, directors, writers, or actors. Limited-release films selected by GLAAD are evaluated based on four criteria: "Fair, Accurate, and Inclusive Representations" of the LGBT community, "Boldness and Originality" of the project, significant "Impact" on mainstream culture, and "Overall Quality" of the project.
GLAAD monitors mainstream media to identify which films will be nominated, while also issuing a call for entries that encourages media outlets to submit films for consideration. By contrast, in order for films created by and for LGBT audiences to be considered for nomination, they must be submitted after the call for entries. Winners are determined by a plurality vote by GLAAD staff and its board, Shareholders Circle members, volunteers and affiliated individuals. , the award has been given to 31 films. At the 35th GLAAD Media Awards in 2024, the award was given to Monica, distributed by IFC Films.
Winners and nominees Initially, GLAAD only revealed the winners at press releases, with the awards being given during the ceremonies. Starting with the 8th GLAAD Media Awards in 1997, the nominees in all categories were made public, with the winners being revealed during the ceremonies.
+ Table key Indicates the winner
1990s + Award year Film Distributor 1994(5th) 1996(7th) Fine Line Features 1997(8th) Beautiful Thing Sony Pictures Classics Antonia's Line First Look Studios Costa Brava DTK French Twist Miramax It's My Party Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Stonewall Strand Releasing 1998(9th) Ma vie en rose (My Life in Pink) Sony Pictures Classics All Over Me Fine Line Features Bent Goldwyn Films Different for Girls First Look Studios Lilies Alliance Atlantis 1999(10th) High Art October Films G2 Films Steam: The Turkish Bath Strand Releasing Velvet Goldmine Miramax
2000s + Award year Film Distributor 2000(11th) Boys Don't Cry Fox Searchlight Pictures All About My Mother Warner Bros. Better Than Chocolate Trimark Pictures Edge of Seventeen Strand Releasing Show Me Love Sonet Film 2001(12th) Sony Pictures Classics Aimée & Jaguar Zeitgeist Films Before Night Falls Fine Line Features Urbania Lionsgate Films 2002(13th) Hedwig and the Angry Inch Fine Line Features Big Eden Wolfe Video Nico and Dani Teodora Film Punks Songcatcher Lionsgate Films 2003(14th) Kissing Jessica Stein Fox Searchlight Pictures 8 Women Focus Features Borstal Boy Strand Releasing His Secret Life Strand Releasing Y tu mamá también IFC Films 2004(15th) Yossi & Jagger Strand Releasing Die, Mommie, Die! Sundance Film Series Gasoline Strand Releasing Madame Satã Wellspring Media, Inc. Mambo Italiano Samuel Goldwyn Films 2005(16th) Bad Education Sony Pictures Classics Bear Cub TLA Releasing Blue Gate Crossing Strand Releasing Brother to Brother Wolfe Releasing Strand Releasing / Showtime 2006(17th) Transamerica Beautiful Boxer Regent Releasing / here! Films Mysterious Skin TLA Releasing Saving Face Sony Pictures Classics Walk on Water Samuel Goldwyn Films 2007(18th) Quinceañera Sony Pictures Classics Fox Searchlight Pictures Imagine Me & You Fox Searchlight Pictures Shortbus ThinkFilm Summer Storm Regent Releasing 2008(19th) Strand Releasing Dirty Laundry Codeblack Entertainment Itty Bitty Titty Committee Pocket Releasing Nina's Heavenly Delights Regent Releasing Whole New Thing Picture This! Entertainment 2009(20th) Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom Logo Films Shelter Regent Releasing Strand Releasing Save Me First Run Features XXY Film Movement
2010s + Award year Film Distributor 2010(21st) Little Ashes Regent Releasing Casi Divas Maya Entertainment Film Movement Phoebe in Wonderland ThinkFilm Monterey Media 2011(22nd) I Love You Phillip Morris Roadside Attractions Howl Oscilloscope Pictures La Mission Screen Media Ventures Patrik, Age 1.5 Regent Releasing Undertow Wolfe Releasing 2012(23rd) Pariah Focus Features Circumstance Roadside Attractions Gun Hill Road Motion Film Group Tomboy Rocket Releasing Weekend Sundance Selects 2013(24th) Any Day Now Music Box Films Keep the Lights On Music Box Films Mosquita y Mari Wolfe Releasing Musical Chairs Paladin North Sea Texas Strand Releasing 2014(25th) Concussion Geography Club Breaking Glass Pictures Out in the Dark Breaking Glass Pictures Reaching for the Moon Wolfe Releasing Yossi Strand Releasing 2015(26th) Lilting Strand Releasing Dear White People Lionsgate Life Partners Magnolia Pictures Strand Releasing Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Film Movement 2016(27th) Tangerine Magnolia Pictures 52 Tuesdays Kino Lorber Appropriate Behaviour Gravitas Ventures Boy Meets Girl Wolfe Video Drunktown's Finest Nehst Studios 2017(28th) Other People Amazon Studios / Magnolia Pictures CJ Entertainment Naz & Maalik Wolfe Video Spa Night Strand Releasing Those People Wolfe Video 2018(29th) Sony Pictures Classics BPM (Beats per Minute) God's Own Country Samuel Goldwyn Films / Orion Pictures Thelma Kino Lorber 2019(30th) Boy Erased Focus Features 1985 Wolfe Releasing Can You Ever Forgive Me? Fox Searchlight Disobedience Bleecker Street Fox Searchlight Hearts Beat Loud Gunpowder & Sky IFC Films FilmRise Saturday Church Samuel Goldwyn Films We the Animals
2020s + Award year Film Distributor 2020(31st) Rafiki Film Movement Adam Wolfe Releasing Brittany Runs a Marathon Amazon Studios Breaking Glass Pictures End of the Century The Cinema Guild 1844 Entertainment Pain and Glory Sony Pictures Classics Portrait of a Lady on Fire Neon Sócrates Breaking Glass Pictures This Is Not Berlin Samuel Goldwyn Films 2021(32nd) Netflix Ammonite Neon And Then We Danced Music Box Films Netflix I Carry You With Me Sony Pictures Classics Kajillionaire Focus Features Netflix Lingua Franca ARRAY / Netflix Monsoon Strand Releasing Vertical Entertainment 2022(33rd) Parallel Mothers Sony Pictures Classics Breaking Fast Vertical Entertainment Gossamer Folds Indican Pictures Wolfe Video Plan B Hulu Port Authority Momentum Pictures Shiva Baby Utopia Swan Song Magnolia Pictures Tu Me Manques Dark Star Pictures Twilight's Kiss Strand Releasing 2023(34th) The Inspection A24 Anaïs in Love Magnolia Pictures Benediction Roadside Attractions Death and Bowling Wolfe Releasing Firebird Roadside Attractions Girl Picture Strand Releasing My Policeman Prime Video Neptune Frost Kino Lorber The Swimmer Strand Releasing Wendell & Wild Netflix 2024(35th) Monica IFC Films Chris Gardner, "GLAAD Media Awards: ‘Fellow Travelers,’ ‘All of Us Strangers,’ ‘Bottoms’ and Ice Spice Among Nominees" . The Hollywood Reporter, January 17, 2024. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Blue Fox Entertainment Strand Releasing Blue Jean Magnolia Pictures How to Blow Up a Pipeline Neon Joyland Oscilloscope L’immensità Music Box Films Our Son Vertical Entertainment Passages Mubi Summoning Sylvia The Horror Collective 2025(36th) Crossing Mubi 20,000 Species of Bees Film Movement Backspot XYZ Films Before I Change My Mind Epic Pictures Big Boys Dark Star Pictures Close to You Greenwich Entertainment Fitting In Blue Fox Entertainment High Tide Strand Releasing Housekeeping for Beginners Focus Features A Place of Our Own Dark Star Pictures2026(37th)A Nice Indian Boy Blue Harbor Entertainment Plainclothes Dark Star PicturesCactus PearsStrand ReleasingFairylandLionsgate/WILLAGriffin in SummerVerticalI Wish You All the BestLionsgatePonyboiFox Entertainment StudiosThe Queen of My DreamsProduct of Culture/WILLASorry, BabyA24Young HeartsStrand Releasing
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