It may have missed out on an Oscar – but Cate Blanchett drama Carol has been named the best LGBT film of all time.

The film, based on Patricia Highsmith novel The Price of Salt, stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as two women who develop an intimate relationship.

Despite being warmly received by critics and being nominated for six Oscars, five Golden Globes and nine BAFTAs, the film came away near-empty handed during awards season.

However, it has been awarded a rare accolade – after over a hundred experts in film came together to rank a definitive list of LGBT movies.



The experts include filmmakers, critics, writers and programmers, who assessed representations of LGBT people across 82 years of cinema.

Filmmakers including Joanna Hogg, Mark Cousins, Peter Strickland, Richard Dyer, Nick James and Laura Mulvey were among those to cast those votes for the BFI Flare London LGBT Film Festival celebration – and Carol topped the rankings.

The film edged out Andrew Haigh’s 2011 film Weekend, with the acclaimed 1997 Hong Kong romance Together placing third.

Two popular LGBT classics also made the top five – Brokeback Mountain and Paris Is Burning.

However, a number of popular films missed out – Milk did not make the cut despite its Oscar-winning screenplay, and Matthew Warchus’ Pride also failed to pick up enough votes.

Carol’s director Todd Haynes said “The Festival has long supported my work, from Poison and Dottie Gets Spanked in the early 1990s through to Carol which is screening on 35mm later this week in BFI Flare’s Best of Year programme.

“I’m so proud to have Carol voted as the top LGBT film of all time in this poll launched for the Fest’s 30th edition.

“Carol is in illustrious company with so many films I love, from Brokeback Mountain and Un Chant d’ Amour to Happy Together and My Own Private Idaho.”

The top ten is below:

1. Carol (Todd Hayes, USA 2015)

2. Weekend (Andrew Haigh, UK 2011)

3. Happy Together (Wong Kar-wai, Hong Kong / Japan / South Korea 1997)

4. Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee, USA / Canada 2005)

5. Paris Is Burning (Jennie Livingston, USA 1990)

6. Tropical Malady (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thailand / France / Germany / Italy 2004)

7. My Beautiful Laundrette (Stephen Frears, UK 1985)

8. All About My Mother (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain / France 1999)

9. Un Chant d’Amour (Jean Genet, France 1950)

10. My Own Private Idaho (Gus Van Sant, USA 1991)

Click here to see the full list.