Queer Films ‘God’s Own Country’ and ‘Call Me By Your Name’ Get BAFTA 2018 Nominations!

The year 2018 is a good one as far as queer cinema being recognized for major award shows is concerned. God’s Own Country and Call Me By Your Name are considered the biggest LGBTQIA+ films of 2017, and it’s good to see them receiving 2018 BAFTA nominations.

The 2018 BAFTA nominations for Call Me By Your Name, other than Best Film, have Timothée Chalamet up for Best Leading Actor, Luca Guadagnino for Best Director, and James Ivory for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The Chalamet and Armie Hammer-starrer film is based on a novel by André Aciman. It’s about a young boy named Elio falling in love with an American academic named Oliver during the summer of 1983 in Italy. The film has received critical acclaim and a number of award nominations and wins.

At the 2018 BAFTA, Call Me By Your Name will be up against Darkest Hour, The Shape of Water (a film with a likable queer supporting character), Dunkirk, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri in the Best Film category. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri won in the Best Motion Picture – Drama category at this year’s Golden Globe ceremony.

I’m happy with Call Me By Your Name getting recognized by major award shows. However, as far as I’m concerned, while the film was enjoyable, it had a number of problems which might be holding it back from winning in the most-coveted award categories.

Hollywood needs to move away from sad queer-centric films no matter how beautiful they look. I do think that the majority of the queer audience wants to see a modern and more timely take on LGBTQIA+ stories.

Moving on, God’s Own Country, a queer film that’s being lauded for its working-class realism (a stark contrast from the arguable upper-class pretentiousness in Call Me Your Name), has been nominated in the Outstanding British Film category. It’ll compete against The Death of Stalin, Lady Mcbeth, Darkest Hour, Paddington 2, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

God’s Own Country is set in the Yorkshire highlands. It stars Josh O’Connor as Johnny Saxby and Alec Secareanu as Gheorghe Ionescu. The film has been directed and written by Francis Lee.

Here’s the trailer!

In some more good news, the leads of both films (Timothée Chalamet and Josh O’Connor) will be competing against each other in the BAFTA: EE Rising Star Award, which is voted for by the public.

Have you watched Call Me By Your Name and God’s Own Country yet? Feel free to share your thoughts with us.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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