You voted and we compiled a list of your onscreen favourites.
At the end of 2016, we asked you to nominate your favourite films, documentaries, TV and web series, YouTube personalities, filmmakers and actors. You answered and we received thousands of votes.
From the list, we determined the most popular movie title, which was screened at the inaugural ClexaCon Film Festival on March 5 in Las Vegas!
While we can only screen one film, we want to share the entire list with you—classic films, groundbreaking new web series, and great YouTubers you definitely want to check out. Each film and series listed are perfect for your next movie night or binge session. Happy viewing!
BEST ACTOR
1. Ruby Rose
Australian model, DJ, recording artist, and television presenter, Ruby Rose first stepped into the spotlight as a presenter on MTV Australia. She began pursuing a career in acting in 2008 and rose to international prominence after appearing in seasons three and four of the Netflix original series Orange Is The New Black.
2. Cate Blanchett
An Academy Award-winning actor of outstanding range and talent, Cate Blanchett, also Australian, is known for her roles in such films as Elizabeth, The Aviator, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and of course her first lesbian-themed film, Carol.
3. Katherine Moennig
Best known for her role as Shane McCutcheon on The L Word, Katherine Moennig began acting in 1999 with an appearance in the music video for Is Anybody Home? Currently, she plays the role of Lena Barnum, an investigative assistant, in the American crime drama Ray Donovan.
4. Sarah Paulson
An award-winning American film, television, and stage actor, Paulson was most recently recognized for her key roles in The People v O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story and American Horror Story. She says her sexuality is fluid and is currently dating actress Holland Taylor.
5. Kate McKinnon
Kate McKinnon is an Emmy Award-winning comedian who made her break into television with The Big Gay Sketch Show. She went on to work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live taking on roles as Hillary Clinton, Justin Bieber, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert Durst, and Jodie Foster.
6. Rooney Mara
Rooney Mara is an Oscar-nominated actor best known for her roles as Therese in the romantic drama Carol and as Lisbeth Salander in the psychological thriller, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
7. Natasha Negovanlis
The Canadian actor, singer, writer, and YouTube personality is best known for her role in the popular web series, Carmilla. Natasha plays the titular Carmilla, a 337-year-old vampire enrolled at university as a philosophy student.
8. Patricia Velásquez
Born in Venezuela, Patricia Velásquez is the world’s first openly lesbian Latina supermodel. She is known for The Mummy, Arrested Development, and Liz in September, Patricia is also the founder of the Wayúu Tayá Foundation, a non-profit set up to assist Wayúu indigenous group.
9. Zoie Palmer
.jpg)
Canadian, best known for playing Dr Lauren Lewis on the sci-fi drama Lost Girl. She publicly came out in 2014 at the Canadian Screen Awards after winning for her performance in Lost Girl. She is currently in a relationship with TV producer Alex Lalonde.
10. Maria Bello
Also, a producer and writer Bello is known for her roles in ER and Coyote Ugly and won multiple awards, including the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series and Favorite Supporting Actress. She published a book in 2013 where she came out about her relationship with Clare Munn.
BEST MOVIE
1. A Million Happy Nows
Starring Crystal Chappell and Jessica Leccie, this is the story of Lainey Allen and her partner Eva Morales as they struggle to deal with Lainey’s diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s. The film chronicles their changing relationship as the woman that was once in awe of Lainey becomes her single support system.
2. Carol
Based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel, The Price Of Salt, Carol follows two women, played by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, who come from very different backgrounds and find themselves in an unexpected love affair in 1950s New York. An honest and beautifully portrayed love story emerges that reveals the resilience of the heart in the face of change.
3. Almost Adults
This comedy film follows Cassie (Natasha Negovanlis) and Machenzie (Elise Bauman) as two best friends navigating their final year of college while making the transition into adulthood. The film highlights Machenzie’s struggle to embrace her sexuality while also trying to play catch up on the experiences she feels she missed during her teen years. Cassie, on the other hand, is tasked with ending her long-term relationship while acknowledging that her life is not going according to plan.
4. Desert Hearts
In 1950s Reno, a love affair between Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) who stays on a ranch owned by Frances Parker (Audra Lindley) while she waits for her divorce to come through. Vivian catches the interest of Frances’s 25-year-old surrogate daughter, Cay (Patricia Charbonneau) and the two women must navigate their evolving relationship.
5. Imagine Me And You
A romantic comedy that explores feelings between recently married Rachel (Piper Perabo) and her florist, Luce (Lena Headey). After finally tying the knot with her long-time friend Heck, Rachel begins a friendship with Luce intending to set her up with Heck’s best friend. She soon finds out that Luce is a lesbian and over the course of their friendship, Rachel begins to question her own sexuality.
6. KyssMig (Kiss Me)
Also known as With Every Heartbeat in English, this Swedish romantic drama from filmmaker Alexandra Therese Keining follows Mia and Frida, who meet at their parent’s engagement party and feel an instant attraction. Mia must make the decision whether to suppress her romantic feelings for Frida and go ahead with her wedding plans, or break off her engagement and pursue a new life with Frida.
7. Clouds of Sils Maria
Starring Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, and Chloe Grace Moretz, Clouds of Sils Maria follow the story of international actress Maria Enders as she is asked to perform in a revival of the play that sparked her career. After meeting the young Hollywood starlet that she will perform beside, Maria finds herself looking at an unsettling reflection of her younger self.
8. Cracks
This film highlights the lives and relationships among girls at an elite English boarding school in the 1930s. Surrounding a clique of divers that idolize their instructor, the film explores themes of bullying, sexual assault, and the harm of growing up in an institutionalized setting.
9. Below Her Mouth
This Canadian drama is a bold, uninhibited film that begins with a passionate weekend affair between two women. Jasmine (Natalie Krill) is a successful fashion editor and living with her fiancé Rile. On a night out in Toronto, Jasmine meets Dallas (Erika Linder), a beautiful roofer who shows immediate interest in Jasmine. The two women quickly develop a steamy romance that will change both their lives forever.
10. Jenny’s Wedding
Katherine Heigl stars as Jenny, a woman who has lived an openly gay life except for her family. When she finally decides to marry her long-time girlfriend Kitty (Alexis Bledel) and start a family, Jenny must face the challenge of coming out to her conservative family. Jenny’s revelation changes her family’s traditional life forever.
BEST TV SERIES…
1. Bomb Girls
Four women working in a Canadian munitions factory during World War II risk their lives building bombs for the Allied forces. The series explores the lives of the women from family, friends, and rivals while the women grow and are liberated from their home and social restrictions.
2. Supergirl
American superhero action-adventure drama based on the DC Comics character Supergirl aka Kara Danvers as she arrives on Earth 24 years after her cousin Superman as she discovers that hundreds of Krypton’s criminals are actually living on Earth.
3. Sense8
Eight strangers discover they are “sensates,” humans linked with a mental and emotional connection. While trying to navigate the world with their newfound abilities, the characters are also hunted down by another sensate.
4. Pretty Little Liars
A group of four friends are tormented and stalked by a mysterious person, known only as “A.” The mystery of who “A” is compounded by the discovery of ring leader Alison DiLaurentis’ body and the police’s growing suspicion the four friends were involved.
5. The Fosters
This American family drama series follows the lives of the Foster family led by couple Stef, a cop, and Lena, a school administrator, who raise a multi-ethnic, blended family that consists of one biological child and four adopted children.
6. Lost Girl
This supernatural drama follows the life of a bisexual succubus named Bo (Anna Silk) as she learns to control her superhuman abilities, help those in need, and discover the truth about her origins.
7. Janet King
An Australian television drama that follows the story of Senior Crown Prosecutor Janet King (Marta Dusseldorp) as she returns from maternity leave and is thrown into a shocking prosecution.
8. Tipping The Velvet
British mini-series set in the 1890s tells the story of Nancy Astley, who falls for Kitty Butler, a male impersonator. Elevated by her love affair with Kitty, Nancy embarks on a seven-year journey of self-discovery, finally realizing that a life of sensation just isn’t enough.
BEST DOCUMENTARY
1. Out And Around
Jennifer Chang and Lisa Dazols leave their 9-5 jobs, pick up a video camera, and travel to fifteen countries throughout Asia, Africa, and South America for one year searching for people who are leading the movement for LGBT equality across the developing world and realize their journey could have a larger impact beyond self-growth.
2. The Case Against 8
This behind-the-scenes look inside the historic legal battle to overturn California’s Proposition 8 follows the plaintiffs, two gay couples who find their families at the centre of the same-sex marriage controversy. Five years in the making, this is the story of how they took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court.
3. Wish Me Away
The journey of country music singer and gay rights activist Chely Wright as she became the first major country music performer to publicly come out. Filmed over a period of 3 years, the documentary portrays Cheryl’s struggle, her private video diaries, and plans to come out publicly.
4. Lesbian Angels
A revealing documentary that looks into the lives of young lesbians living in Los Angeles. Through interviews and poetry, their stories and experiences are shared and insight about life, love and everything in between is revealed.
BEST WEB SERIES …
1. Venice
Single lesbian and self-made interior designer Gina Grogno lives and works in Venice Beach, California. The show highlights Gina’s love interests, family, and support system in this edgy soap opera romance.
2. The Leslie
Exclusively on YouTube, The Leslie follows recently out lesbian, Leslie Clark (Kate Johnson), in her late 20s, and living and dating in sunny California. She takes each new misadventure with a grain of salt and learns about life, sex and what it means to be a woman who loves women.
3. The “Other” Love Story
The story of two young girls who develop romantic feelings for each other in Bangalore in the 1990s. This pure, intense, passionate love story engages the audience in the subtle moments of the two women’s lives and their struggle and the fight to stay together.
4. RED
Brazilian web series about Mel Beart and Liz Malmo, two actresses that meet while shooting a short film and develop real romantic feelings while portraying the fictional lovers Scarlet and Simone. Now in its second season.
5. Starting From Now
Australian web series follows the tangled, increasingly complicated lives of its four lesbian protagonists as they struggle to work out who they are, find a place where they belong, and maybe even find love along the way.
6. Carmilla
A modern spin on the cult-classic vampire novella by Sheridan Le Fanu. Meshing the vlog format with scripted storytelling, Carmilla tells the story of Laura Hollis (Elise Bauman) and the strange events and missing women at Silas University. With more than 15 million views and a passionate, engaged, and worldwide fandom, the story spans multiple mediums including Twitter, Tumblr and Wattpad character feeds.
7. Last Life
The supernatural web series is about the never-ending battle of good versus evil and a pair of soul-mates, who when reunited, only cause destruction.
8. NotasAparte
Spanish web series follows Sara, a shy, naive, and closeted student who is in desperate need of tutoring in order to pass her exams and enter university. After finding out that her new tutor, Helena, is a lesbian, Sara begins to discover and understand many things about herself. In Spanish with English subtitles.
9. Out With Dad
Canadian web series about a teenage lesbian named Rose and the process of her coming out to her single father. The series shines a spotlight on the challenges of people in the LGBT community, specifically lesbians facing homophobia.
10. Nikki & Nora
Follows New Orleans Private Investigators Nikki Beaumont and Nora Delany, who happen to be in a relationship together. Nikki & Nora balances the adventure and drama of the investigation as well as the day to day tasks at home, like renovating their house and navigating family issues.
BEST WRITER OR DIRECTOR…
1. Phyllis Nagy
An Academy Award-nominated theatre and film director, screenwriter, and playwright, Nagy adapted and wrote the screenplay for 2015’s Carol, the film that led to her nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
2. Katherine Brooks
An American film writer and director, Brooks has worked on prominent television shows including The Osbournes and MTV’s groundbreaking reality series The Real World. Her feature film Loving Annabelle won the Audience Award and Best Actress Award at Outfest in 2006.
3. Patricia Rozema
Canadian film director, writer, and producer began her film career in print and television journalism. Known for her films When Night Is Falling and Mansfield Park, Rozema directed Into the Forest, starring Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood.
4. Karla Eduvia
Brazilian born writer, director, cinematographer and editor. Her work includes two documentaries (including Lesbian Angels) and a feature film as well as numerous music videos and commercials.
5. Todd Haynes
Considered a pioneer of the New Queer Cinema movement, Todd Haynes is an American independent film director, screenwriter, and producer most famous to lesbians for directing Carol and often works with his producing partner Christine Vachon.
BEST YOUTUBER…
1. Lacie & Robin
Since falling in love in 1996, the couple has been writing and performing together. They co-wrote and starred in the two-woman show, Real Girls, which was later made into the feature film, Girl Play. Their weekly YouTube comedy vlog, Lacie and Robin, offers lesbian advice and humour.
2. Rose and Rosie
The cute couple and rising YouTube stars have amassed a following of 500,000 subscribers and make weekly videos in improvisational and unscripted comedy while also vlogging and running a gaming channel.
3. Elle is for Laura
This British couple created their YouTube channel with one mission in mind: #ItGetsBetter. Grab a drink and watch how LGBT+ life is as silly, adventurous, boring, fun and normal as everyone else’s.
4. Sarah and Rachel
This couple from Iowa owns the production company Frame Media. They upload vlogs weekly plus unscripted comedy, challenges, travel, and entrepreneurship videos as well as LGBT advice.
5. Ari Fitz
Ari’s videos range from foods she has eaten and enjoyed, her friends and family, to travel adventures. Ari also posts her tomboy fashion lookbooks and style series on her YouTube channel TOMBOYISH. With a new video every day, there is something for everyone.
6. Ash Hardell
An energetic YouTuber with videos ranging from sex on antidepressants, to chest binding, to the ABC of LGBT+. Along with the video blogs and comedic videos, she differentiates herself by creating stop-motion animation videos.
7. Shannon Beveridge
Gained prominence on YouTube as one half of the YouTube channel Nowthisisliving with her now ex-girlfriend Camden Scott. Since the breakup, Shannon has posted videos about moving on, moving out, and suicidal thoughts, among others.
8. Stevie Boebi
A YouTube phenomenon based out of Louisiana, Stevie uses her channel to interact with fans, tell stories, make a fool of herself, and give advice including lesbian sex 101.
9. WhatWeganDidNext
Whitney and Megan are a dynamic duo who endured four years of a long-distance relationship between Hawaii and the UK. Their videos document their proposal in Hawaii and their Civil Partnership in the UK, travels around the world and their everyday activities.
