It’s a banner year for lesbian cinema.

Now that festival season is over, it’s time to name the best lesbian films released for home consumption this year.

Who’s Afraid of Vagina Wolf?
This twisted lesbian homage to the classic “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?” stars lesbian legend Guinevere Turner, who won a fistful of awards for her role in this feature. Written by the wacky and wonderful Anna Margarita Albelo, it also stars Carrie Preston from “True Blood,” Janina Gavankar aka Papi from “The L Word” and the super hot Agnes Olech.

The film explores the love life of 40-year-old brilliant and introvert filmmaker Anna against the backdrop of her “Who’s Afraid of Vagina Wolf?” production. Plus there’s a giant vagina costume, so you really can’t lose.

A Map for Love
Hmm, a GPS for love might be more helpful, but a map would be great, too. This film explores the tangled relationship between a woman, her mother and her lover. It’s intense, honest, funny and gorgeous.

Set in bustling Santiago, Chile, and on a sailboat trip in the bay, “A Map for Love” sails into deep emotional water as the triad confronts each other and themselves.

Woman’s Lake
A long weekend, a beautiful chain of lakes and two very different couples explore the wilderness and their shifting passions.

Reaching for the Moon
Passion and poetry preside in this film based on the true love story of American poet Elizabeth Bishop and Brazilian architect Lota de Macedo Soares. Two remarkable actresses — Miranda Otto (“Lord of the Rings”) and Brazilian TV star Gloria Pires — embody these historic characters as they embark on a passionate love affair.

Margarita
On screen chemistry sizzles as Margarita, an undocumented nanny with a precarious job, tries to get her girlfriend Jane to commit.

Concussion
Lesbian writer-director Stacie Passon’s debut film tackles attraction, midlife crisis and turning tricks.

The winner of the Berlin Film Festival’s Teddy Jury Award, “Concussion” earns rave reviews for its frankiness, eroticism and vulnerability.

Blue is the Warmest Color
Nope, it’s not yellow. Winner of Cannes top prize and nominated for a Golden Globe, this foreign feature explores the relationship between Adele and beguiling, young, blue-haired Emma. It’s a coming of age story that explores desire, love and loss.

The post Best lesbian movies of 2014 first appeared on Lesbian.com.

The 2014 Oscar nominations were announced this morning and the major disappointment for lesbian viewers is that neither Léa Seydoux nor Adèle Exarchopoulos were nominated for their roles in “Blue Is the Warmest Color.” It’s not surprising; neither of them were nominated for a Golden Globe, either, and those awards are firmly European. Maybe that NC-17 rating really did kill its chances like so many critics predicted. The film itself was not eligible for Best Foreign Film because it wasn’t released in its native France until after the Academy’s deadline. But we were holding out a little hope for Seydoux and Exarchopoulos. Alas!

See the list of Oscar nominations at After Ellen.com

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It’s Golden Globe Awards time! Not only are Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting again in 2014, but some of our favorite performers, shows and films picked up nominations this morning. Tatiana Maslany scored a nod for her portrayal of multiple clones in “Orphan Black,” as did Taylor Schilling for her turn as Piper in the hit Netflix series “Orange is the New Black” (though the show itself did not receive a nomination). In the realm of film, coming of age story “Blue is the Warmest Color” was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and Demi Lovato‘s song “Let It Go” (from Frozen) was nominated for Best Original Song.

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There’s a moment toward the end of French film “Blue is the Warmest Color“ when actress Léa Seydoux runs her fingers through her short blonde hair. She rakes it from forehead to crown. Ducking her head, she pauses to peer up at her love interest, then cuts her eyes away. Her hand travels back toward her face then, her hair artfully disheveled in its wake. It’s the sort of arresting moment anyone who’s ever been in love with a dyke recognizes. Not just recognizes, craves. It’s why all the bluster is worth it.  It’s why you show up. But this is not the sort of moment most critics have chosen to highlight. Rather, the movie’s buzz has centered around The SEX! Comprising 20 minutes of the three hour film, the sex scenes’ duration and specificity earned “Blue” an NC-17 rating.

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Julie Maroh in 2011 (Photo: Archives Tadeusz Kluba)

BY TRISH BENDIX
AfterEllen

As the saying goes, “the book was better.” Now I haven’t seen the film version of “Blue is the Warmest Color” yet (it opens this weekend), but the graphic novel it is based on is incredible, so it’ll be hard to beat. Out French writer and illustrator Julie Maroh began work on “Le bleu est une couleur chaude” when she was 19 (she’s now 28) and saw it published in France in 2010. Arsenal Pulp Press just published the English language version in September and the movie opens this Friday, October 25, so there’s still time to get a copy and read it before you hit the theater.

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The post Writer/illustrator Julie Maroh on ‘Blue is the Warmest Color’ first appeared on Lesbian.com.