While there are many famous directors who have directed classics that resonate with common audiences, there are just as many who direct films that go under the radar because they choose to tell their stories instead of what moviegoers prefer to watch. Their audiences may be people who do not fit into society’s standard of white, cisgender, or straight. Some of the directors on this list have garnered a cult following over the years but deserve to be recognized among mainstream audiences. Others are recognized by the mainstream, but their earlier works deserve more acknowledgment. Whether during Pride Month or year-round, LGBTQ+ voices deserve to be heard in arguably the most important form of media we have as human beings: film.
John Waters
John Waters is a writer and actor, but more importantly, a filmmaker. Waters began directing in the 1970s and has developed a cult following with films such as Pink Flamingos, Polyester, and more. Deemed the “Pope Of Trash,” Waters’ films are outside a specific genre, mixing gore with comedy and a twinge of cringe. Most of films feature drag queen Divine, who developed his own following as an actor, singer, and performer. Though he had directed a few films before Hairspray, the film helped Waters break into the mainstream. Starring a young Ricki Lake and Divine as Edna Turnblad, the film’s satire and raunchiness is undeniable. Other movies to start watching if you are unfamiliar with Water’s films include Cry-Baby, Serial Mom, Multiple Maniacs, and Female Trouble. While there are some outdated terms and jokes in Waters’ films, his filmography has a unique, if not unusual, representation of the LGBTQ+ community. There is something for everyone in every era of Waters’ career.
Dee Rees
Dee Rees is a director and screenwriter who debuted with her feature film, Pariah in 2011. The film depicts a 17-year-old Black girl as she learns to embrace her identity as a lesbian. Rees also directed Bessie, the HBO film about iconic blues singer Bessie Smith, played by trailblazer Queen Latifah in 2015. Rees was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay with the film, Mudbound at the Oscars. She was the first Black woman in her field to do so. Rees has made a name for herself, after years of hard work, by directing stories that resonate with queer Black women, as they are sorely misrepresented in most forms of media. As she made the transition from her early indie films to box office cinema, Rees has been able to maintain her identity and continue to create stories that make queer Black and brown people feel seen and heard.
Cheryl Dunye
Cheryl Dunye, A Liberian-American film and television director, producer, and actress, is considered the first out Black lesbian to ever direct a feature film. She is also the founder of JingleTown FIlms, whose slogan is “a space for growth and evolution.” Her debut film, The Watermelon Woman, is considered a cult film in queer film history. Dunye stars in the film as herself as she researches a Black actress from the 1930s that had to hide her queer identity. While Dunye has directed many films during her career, she is most known for intersecting themes of race, sexuality, relationships, and the patriarchy. More of Dunye’s early work includes Janine, She Don’t Fade, and Greetings From Africa. Dunye is an early Black queer media maker that created spaces specifically for Black women’s representation as they were misrepresented or heavily oppressed. In terms of television, Dunye has directed episodes for shows such as Queen Sugar, The Chi, and Lovecraft Country.
Sydney Freeland
Sydney Freeland is a Native American filmmaker. She has directed films such as Drunktown’s Finest (2014) and Deidra and Laney Rob a Train (2017). But, her work on the FX comedy-drama series Reservation Dogs is the most important in terms of Indigenous LGBTQ representation. Freeland’s work on the series as a writer and director helped to make the show more authentic in its storytelling, which is essential in terms of representation. With a three-season run, Reservation Dogs depicts the reality of Indigenous people with authentic characters and storytelling, as the writer’s room was all Indigenous. Queer indigenous actors such as Devery Jacobs, who portrays Elora Danan, one of the core four in the show. Reservation Dogs proves itself to be a hidden gem. Freeland’s work on the series and in general should be praised among mainstream audiences.
Boots Riley
Raymond Lawrence Riley, better known by his stage name Boots Riley, has many roles under his belt, including rapper, producer, and screenwriter. He continues to make history as a film director. His debut film, Sorry to Bother You, starring Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson, is a science fiction Black comedy. Thompson, who came out in 2018, has been very vocal about LGBTQ+ issues. Her performance in the unconventional film conveys Riley’s message of anti-capitalism, which goes hand in hand with LGBTQ+ issues, especially given recent times. Riley describes an alternate Oakland, California, while exploring real issues that Black people experience. Riley is also the creator of the Prime Video series I’m A Virgo, which depicts a 13-foot Black man navigating the world around him. Jones, portrayed by Kara Young, acts as a voice of a people and echoes most of Riley’s personal beliefs throughout the show. While Riley’s projects are not of this world and focus more on capitalistic issues rather than LGBTQ+ as a whole, he has a knack for breaking down the grittiness of reality for audiences to fully understand.
Of course, there are so many more representations of queerness onscreen and directors who represent pride onscreen. Please comment more about your favorite queer directors and characters in film and TV. Happy Pride!
