Out Film CT announced the winners of the 35th Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival with the Jury Awards – for Feature Film going to Finlandia, and for Documentary going to Prognosis – Notes on Living. The Audience Awards for Best Feature went to Mascarpone, and for Best Documentary went to Invisible.

Festival Co-Director Jaime Ortega states, “We had an incredibly diverse collection of films this year from over 25 different countries spanning 6 continents, and the awards reflect how the audience and jury really embraced that diversity, with winners from Italy, Mexico, India, Canada, and right here in the United States. We are thrilled with the audience response and are delighted to share the results of their voting as well as the festival jury’s selections as the best of the festival.”

Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival Winners

2022 Audience Awards

Audience Award – Best Feature: Mascarpone
Antonio has a perfect life and dotes lovingly, almost obsessively, on his perfect husband. Then one day, hubby dumps him, and Antonio is forced to find a place to live, a job, and a new purpose in life. (Italy)

Best Feature Runner-Up: The Divide

Audience Award – Best Documentary: Invisible
Growing up gay and Southern is hard enough, but being a lesbian in country music is nearly impossible. Yet this group of lesbian artists has persevered and made an indelible impact. (USA)

Best Documentary Runner Up: Mama Bears

Audience Award – Best Short Film: Bonhomme
19-year-old rugby player Anthony is on a night out with friends. In a game of dares, they challenge him to kiss the bar’s handsome new waiter. Sometimes one kiss changes everything. (France)

Runner-Up Short Film: Static Space
Honorable Mention Short Film: Gay Spirit Radio: Not Afraid To Be Different – The Keith Brown Story

2022 Jury Awards

Jury Award – Feature Film: Finlandia
The jury selected Finlandia for its gorgeous visuals and its powerful and unflinching portrait of an often-overlooked population, the Muxes of Mexico. (Mexico)

Jury Special Mention – Feature Film: Great Freedom
The jury recognized Great Freedom for the excellence of its acting and its creative and unconventional storytelling format. (Austria/Germany)

Jury Award – Documentary: Prognosis – Notes on Living
The jury selected Prognosis – Notes on Living for its brave and masterful storytelling and its incredible emotional impact. (USA)

Jury Special Mention – Documentary: Gemmel & Tim
The jury recognized Gemmel & Tim for shining a light on an important and shocking story that needed to be told in more depth than the sensationalized headlines of a newspaper, which is one of the prime purposes and obligations of documentary filmmaking. (USA)

Jury Award – Short Film: My Mother’s Girlfriend
The jury selected My Mother’s Girlfriend for the power and beauty of its story about the love between two older women and their desire to live their lives honestly and with integrity. (India)

Jury Runner-Up – Short Film: Warsha
Jury Special Mention – Short Film: Overthinker (Pensadero)

Rising Star Award: Silvia Brunelli (Blessed Boys)
The Rising Star Award, in memory of festival volunteer and supporter Pam Connelly, highlights and rewards new talent in the independent film industry. Silvia Brunelli is recognized as this year’s Rising Star Award winner due to the exceptional job she did in writing and directing her first feature film Blessed Boys within the span of 11 months, creating an original and compelling story of family, friendship and self-discovery. (Italy)

Director’s Award: Bretten Hannam (Wildhood)
In a time when representation is so important, Bretten Hannam created a nuanced and touching film about the journey of self-discovery and reconnecting with one’s roots – making a profound impact on our audience and standing out as one of the most original films in this year’s festival.