TEDDY AWARD Berlinale 2015

TEDDY AWARD at the International Film Festival in Berlin – The 29th TEDDY AWARD will be in the context of the 65th International Film Festival on Friday, 02.13.2015 awarded. The festive ceremony will be held at the Komische Oper Berlin. Berlin, Germany; Feb 13, 2015

TEDDY AWARD Berlinale 2015

The TEDDY AWARD is a societal engaged political award, which is given to films and people, that communicate queer themes and content on a large scale and contribute with this to more tolerance, acceptance, solidarity and equality in society.

The TEDDY AWARD has with this not only cultural importance. As long as queer life is threatened in parts of the world with the capital punishment and is even in towns like Berlin a homo- and transphobe power in the agenda, TEDDY AWARD also carries a political significance and responsibility.

THE AWARD

Within the scope of the International Film Festival the TEDDY will award the queer film Award’s, in the categories the best feature, the best documentaries / essay film and the best short film, as well as the Special Teddy for artistic life’s work given to an outstanding personality. Movies from all sections of the International Film Festival Berlin – most of them world premieres – compete every year for the TEDDY AWARD. The line-up of the present TEDDY AWARD winners goes from international star-directors such as: Pedro Almodóvar, Gus van Sant, Derek Jarman and Werner Schroeter to international on-screen stars such as Helmut Berger, Joe Dallesandra, John Hurt and Oscar-Winner Tilda Swinton.

The TEDDY AWARD is a non-profit event. The TEDDY AWARD finances itself only by contributions of sustaining members and patrons of the Teddy e.V., by donation of supporters, the contribution of many voluntary helpers as well as sponsors and the earnings of the award gala.

THE GALA

At the festive TEDDY AWARD GALA with more than 3000 guests from art, culture, economy and politics the TEDDY AWARDs will be awarded. The TEDDY AWARD GALA is the glamorous highlight in the cultural agenda of Berlin, not least because of the hottest party of the Berlinale, which traditionally takes place after the awards show.

BUT THE TEDDY AWARD IS MORE THAN THAT

The TEDDY AWARD is a leading event for gay-lesbian film festivals around the world. More than 120 festival managers from all parts of the world meet annually in the scope of the TEDDY AWARDS in Berlin at the “Programmers Meeting,” the worldwide biggest meeting of queer film festival makers. Many of the represented festivals at the programmers meeting take place under big reprisal. The TEDDY AWARD ministers these problems and tries to support and patronize the festivals.

For instance was it possible to organize a gay-lesbian film festival in St. Petersburg unter the patronage of the TEDDY AWARD – with positive feedback by the Russian media-, after the festival had been prohibited by the Russian authorities in the preceding years and could take place only in a small and hidden situation in the St. Petersburg Goethe-Institut.

Similar commitment shows the TEDDY AWARD currently amongst others in Kiev, Jakarta and Sarajevo. The international emission and reputation of the TEDDY AWARD helps in these countries to break up existing crustifications and to integrate queer life in the society.

 EXCHANGE AND INFORMATION

In this span between cultural and political mandate the TEDDY AWARD arranges during the Berlinale several panels for and with international festival makers, to accelerate the network and solidarity among the festivals and to debate the development of queer films. Some of the panels take place in cooperation with the Talent Campus Berlinale and leave purposely the programmers-group to get producers, authors and directors offsprings involved. One topic will be among others the construction of an internetbased, central festival channel for exchange, information and recent news coverage.

For this the TEDDY AWARD will initiated the foundation of the Queer Academy in Berlin and as a first step – especially for the festivals in problematic countries – provide webspace and videostreaming capacities with corresponding logistical infrastructure and invite all countries to participate in the creation of a queer memory.

TOLERANTIA-PRIZE 2010

The European award for outstanding commitment was awarded in Madrid to the TEDDY AWARD in 2010 among others. “For long lasting emancipatory dedication, which always is bound to the aim to overcome homophobia and hate-crime as well in our society as worldwide…” it says in the explanatory statement.

TEDDY AWARD ON TV AND INTERNET

ARTE TV  screens the TEDDY AWARD Gala already for the 9^th time in a row. Moreover the TEDDY AWARD ceremony will be online to be seen here at www.teddyaward.tv as well.

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