Get Involved, Support, Be Part of It…

“My world is colourful. There is no black-and-white thinking for me.” TEDDY AWARD sponsor Harald Christ in an interview about the opportunities and challenges of the submitted films, as well as the importance of social responsibility in Germany.

Harald Christ is a sponsor of TEDDY e. V. Without his significant financial support, the TEDDY AWARD in its current form would be unimaginable. Harald Christ is an important promoter and role model for us in the field of social responsibility, and he lives his commitment as a strong networker, continuously using his connections to advocate for others.

The world’s most important queer film award is a socially engaged political prize that honours films and individuals who communicate queer themes on a broad societal level, thereby contributing to greater tolerance, acceptance, solidarity, and equality within society.

The TEDDY AWARD is not only of cultural significance. As long as homosexuality is still punishable by death in parts of the world, and even in cities like Berlin homophobic violence remains part of everyday reality, the TEDDY AWARD also carries political significance and responsibility.

In the categories of Best Feature Film, Best Documentary/Essay Film, and Best Short Film, the TEDDY AWARD is presented as part of the Berlin International Film Festival. The coveted bronze statue is also awarded to outstanding personalities in recognition of their artistic lifetime achievement. Films from all sections of the Berlin International Film Festival—most of them world premieres and international premieres—compete for the TEDDY AWARDs every year. The list of previous TEDDY AWARD winners ranges from internationally renowned directors such as Pedro Almodóvar, Gus Van Sant, Derek Jarman, Ulrike Ottinger, and Werner Schroeter to international screen icons such as Helmut Berger, Joe Dallesandro, Mario Montez, John Hurt,and Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton.

At the festive award ceremony, attended by around 2,000 guests from the worlds of art, culture, business, and politics, the TEDDY AWARDs are presented. The TEDDY AWARD Gala is a glamorous highlight in Berlin’s cultural calendar.

The TEDDY AWARD is the leading event for gay and lesbian film festivals worldwide. Every year, more than 180 festival directors and programmers from all over the world come together in Berlin during the Berlinale and the TEDDY for the “Programmers Meeting” – the largest gathering of queer film festival makers worldwide. Many of the festivals represented at the Programmers Meeting take place under severe repression in their home countries. The TEDDY AWARD addresses these challenges and seeks to support and protect these festivals.

In recent years, under the patronage of the TEDDY AWARD, it has been possible to hold a gay and lesbian film festival in St. Petersburg – with positive coverage in the Russian media – after the festival had been prevented by authorities in previous years and could only take place on a small and discreet scale at the Goethe-Institut in St. Petersburg. The TEDDY AWARD is currently demonstrating similar commitment in, among other places, Warsaw, Kyiv, Novosibirsk, Jakarta, Palermo, Sarajevo, and Mumbai. The international reach and reputation of the TEDDY AWARD helps to break down entrenched structures in these countries and to promote the integration of queer life into society.