Teddy Award


The Teddy Award is an international film award for films with LGBT topics, presented by an independent jury as an official award of the Berlin International Film Festival. Here, an "independent jury" implies that its members are not officially selected by the committee of the Berlinale. In the most part, the jury consists of organisers of gay and lesbian film festivals, who view films screened in all sections of the Berlinale; films do not have to have been part of the festival's official competition stream to be eligible for Teddy awards. Subsequently, a list of films meeting criteria for LGBT content is selected by the jury, and a 3,000-Euro Teddy is awarded to a feature film, a short film and a documentary.
At the 66th Berlin International Film Festival in 2016, a dedicated "Teddy30" lineup of classic LGBT-related films was screened as a full program of the festival to celebrate the award's 30th anniversary.

History

In 1987 German filmmakers Wieland Speck and Manfred Salzgeber formed a jury called the International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Association to create an award for LGBT films. It was originally named the Teddy Bear Award, in accordance with the Berlinale's main awards being named as the Golden and Silver Bear; the name was later shortened to Teddy Award, although the statuette presented to winners is still shaped like a teddy bear.
The first Teddy Award was given to Pedro Almodóvar for his film La ley del deseo, which featured Antonio Banderas.
The awards were originally founded in a gay bookshop in West Berlin, they were named after the cuddly toys which were sent as prizes to the winners.
They were then upgraded to metal trophies but are still thought to be a deliberate parody of the main Berlin Film Festival’s Golden Bear trophy.
1990 was the first bigger festival in the LGBT centrum SchwuZ in Berlin with around 400 guests. The evening was organized from BeV StroganoV and workers of the bookstore Eisenherz in Berlin. In 1992 the award was officially made part of the Berlin International Film Festival. In 1997 TEDDY e.V., a non-profit organisation was founded, which lobbied the award.

Categories

There are three main categories in which the award is given:
One additional film is singled out for a Jury Award. A Special Award is commonly, but not always, given to one or more individuals for a distinguished achievement in LGBT cinema, such as a career lifetime achievement as a director or performer, or for a person's role in a project of significance to the history of LGBT cinema.
The German LGBT magazine Siegessäule formerly sponsored an award which was given to a film selected by a panel of the magazine's readers. This was discontinued after 2012, but was reinstituted in 2016 under the new sponsorship of the magazine Männer; in 2017, the award was named the Harvey in honour of Harvey Milk.

Winners

Indicates Best Feature Film winners
Indicates individual winners

YearCategoryFilmDirector or recipient
1987Best Feature FilmLaw of Desire SPA
1987Best Short FilmMy New FriendUSA
1987Best Short FilmFive Ways to Kill YourselfUSA
1988Best Feature Film GBR
1988Best Documentary FilmRights And Reactions: Lesbian & Gay Rights On Trial and Jane LippmanUSA
1988Best Essay FilmGER
1988Best Short FilmAlfalfaGBR
1988Jury Award
1988Reader AwardGBR
1989Best Feature FilmLooking for Langston GBR
1989Best Feature FilmFun Down There USA
1989Best Documentary FilmTiny & Ruby: Hell Divin' Women and Andrea WeissUSA
1989Best Essay FilmUrinalCAN
1990Best Feature FilmComing Out GER
1990Best Documentary FilmTongues UntiedUSA
1990Best Short FilmTrojansGBR
GRC
1990Jury AwardSilence = DeathGER
1991Best Feature FilmPoison USA
1991Best Documentary FilmParis Is BurningUSA
1991Best Short FilmRelaxGBR
1991Jury AwardCAN
1991Special AwardForbidden LoveCZE
1992Best Feature FilmTogether Alone USA
1992Best Documentary FilmVoices from the Front, Robyn Hut and Sandra ElgearUSA
1992Best Short FilmCaught LookingGBR
1992Jury AwardEdward IIGBR
1992Audience AwardSwoonUSA
1993Best Feature FilmWittgenstein GBR
1993Best Documentary FilmSilverlake Life and Peter FriedmanUSA
1993Best Short FilmPain TruthFIN
1993Audience AwardSex is...USA
1994Best Feature FilmGo Fish USA
1994Best Documentary FilmComing Out Under FireUSA
1994Best Short FilmCarmelita Tropicana: Your Kunst Is Your WaffenUSA
1994Jury AwardRemembrance of Things FastGBR
1994Reader AwardHeavy BlowHoang A. DuongUSA
1994Audience AwardStrawberry and Chocolate and Juan Carlos TabíoCUB
MEX
1995Best Feature Film CAN
1995Best Documentary FilmComplaints of a Dutiful DaughterUSA
1995Best Short FilmTrevorUSA
1995Jury AwardMarble AssSRB
1995Reader AwardBallot Measure 9USA
1995Audience AwardPriestGBR
1996Best Feature Film USA
1996Best Documentary Film and Jeffrey FriedmanUSA
1996Best Essay FilmI'll Be Your Mirror and Edmund CoulthardGBR
1996Best Short FilmUnboundCAN
1996Best Short FilmAlkali, IowaUSA
1996Jury Award / Plaster Foundation
1996Reader AwardParis Was a WomanGBR
USA
1997Best Feature FilmAll Over Me USA
1997Best Essay FilmMurder and MurderUSA
1997Best Short FilmHeroines of Love and Lily BesillyGER
1997Special Award
1997Reader AwardAll Over MeUSA
1998Best Feature FilmHold You Tight HKG
1998Best Documentary Film and Gréta OlafsdóttirUSA
1998Best Short FilmPeppermillsUSA
CHE
1998Jury AwardPHL
1998Reader Award and Gréta OlafsdóttirUSA
1998Special Award
1998Special MentionUncutCAN
1999Best Feature FilmShow Me Love SWE
1999Best Documentary FilmGBR
NLD
1999Best Short FilmLiu Awaiting SpringAUS
1999Jury AwardAimée & Jaguar
1999Jury AwardLola and Billy the Kid
1999Jury AwardGendernauts: A Journey Through Shifting Identities
1999Jury AwardPiglets
1999Jury AwardNYNY n Why Not
1999Reader AwardTrickUSA
2000Best Feature FilmWater Drops on Burning Rocks FRA
2000Best Documentary FilmParagraph 175 and Jeffrey FriedmanUSA
2000Best Short FilmHartes BrotGER
2000Jury AwardDrôle de Félix and Jacques MartineauFRA
2000Jury AwardChrissyAUS
2000Reader AwardDrôle de Félix and Jacques MartineauFRA
2001Best Feature FilmHedwig and the Angry Inch USA
2001Best Documentary FilmTrembling Before G-dUSA
2001Best Short FilmErè Mèla MèlaFRA
LUX
2001Jury AwardForbidden Fruit and Beate KunathGER
ZWE
2001Reader AwardTHA
2001Special Award
2001Special MentionChop SueyUSA
2001Special MentionTHA
2002Best Feature FilmWalking on Water AUS
2002Best Documentary FilmAll About My FatherNOR
DNK
2002Best Short FilmCelebrationUSA
2002Jury AwardJust a WomanFRA
IRN
2002Reader AwardWalking on WaterAUS
2003Best Feature Film MEX
2003Best Documentary FilmTalk Straight: The World of Rural QueersGER
2003Best Short FilmPrecious Moments and Jan DalchowNOR
2003Reader AwardCAN
2003Special Award
2004Best Feature FilmWild Side FRA
2004Best Documentary FilmGER
2004Best Short FilmCon qué la lavaré?SPA
2004Reader AwardD.E.B.S.USA
2004Special Award
2005Best Feature Film ARG
2005Best Documentary FilmFeline MasqueradeCHE
2005Best Short FilmUSA
2005Reader AwardTransamericaUSA
2006Best Feature Film PHL
2006Best Documentary FilmBeyond HatredFRA
2006Best Short FilmEl día que moríARG
USA
2006Jury AwardCombatBEL
2006Reader AwardPaper DollsISR
CHE
2007Best Feature FilmSpider Lilies TWN
2007Best Documentary FilmUSA
2007Audience AwardNotes on a ScandalUSA
GBR
2007Reader AwardISR
2007Social SpotsSecurity Camera and Love Hurts
2007Special Award
2007Special MentionLa LeónARG
FRA
2008Best Feature Film ISL
2008Best Documentary FilmFootball Under Cover and Ayat NajafiGER
2008Audience AwardFootball Under Cover and Ayat NajafiGER
2008Best Short FilmTáBRA
2008Jury AwardBe Like OthersUSA
CAN
IRN
2008Reader AwardBe Like OthersUSA
CAN
IRN
2008Special Award and Martin Ripkens
2008Special Award, Simon Fisher Turner, Isaac Julien, James Mackay and Tilda Swinton
2009Best Feature FilmRaging Sun, Raging Sky MEX
2009Best Documentary FilmFig TreesCAN
2009Best Short FilmUSA
2009Reader AwardCity of BordersUSA
2009Special Award
2009Special Award
2010Best Feature Film USA
FRA
2010Best Documentary FilmITA
2010Best Short FilmUSA
2010Jury AwardOpenUSA
2010Reader AwardPostcard to DaddyGER
2010Special Award
2011Best Feature FilmAbsent ARG
2011Best Documentary FilmUSA
FRA
2011Best Short FilmGenerations and Gina CarducciUSA
2011Best Short FilmMaya Deren's SinkUSA
2011Jury AwardTomboyFRA
2011Special Award
2012Best Feature FilmKeep the Lights On USA
2012Best Documentary FilmCall Me Kuchu and Katherine Fairfax WrightUSA
2012Best Short FilmLoxoroSPA
PER
ARG
USA
2012Jury AwardJaurèsFRA
2012Reader AwardParadaSER
HRV
MKD
SVN
2012Special Award
2012Special Award
2013Best Feature FilmIn the Name of POL
2013Best Documentary FilmBambiFRA
2013Best Short FilmUndress MeSWE
2013Jury AwardConcussionUSA
2013Reader AwardIn the Name ofPOL
2013Special AwardSTEPS for the Future
2014Best Feature Film BRA
2014Best Documentary FilmCHE
2014Best Short FilmMondial 2010LBN
2014Jury AwardPierrot LunaireGER
CAN
2014Special Award
2015Best Feature FilmNasty Baby USA
CHL
FRA
2015Best Documentary FilmURY
CHL
2015Best Short FilmSan CristóbalCHL
2015Jury AwardStories of Our LivesKEN
2015Special Award
2016Best Feature FilmTomcat AUT
2016Best Documentary/Essay FilmKikiSWE
USA
2016Best Short FilmMoms on FireSWE
2016Jury AwardYou'll Never Be AloneCHL
2016Audience Award and Jacques MartineauFRA
2016Reader AwardDon't Call Me SonBRA
2016Special Award
2017Best Feature Film CHL
2017Best Documentary/Essay FilmSmall TalkTWN
2017Best Short FilmMy Gay SisterSWE
NOR
2017Jury AwardClose-KnitJPN
2017Reader AwardGod's Own CountryGBR
2017Special Award
2018Best Feature FilmHard Paint and Marcio ReolonBRA
2018Best Documentary/Essay FilmTranny Fag and Kiko GoifmanBRA
2018Best Short FilmThree CentimetresGBR
2018Jury AwardObscuro BarrocoFRA
GRC
2018Newcomer AwardRetabloPER
GER
NOR
2018Reader AwardPRY
2019Best Feature FilmBrief Story from the Green Planet ARG
GER
BRA
SPA
2019Best Documentary/Essay FilmLemebelCHL
COL
2019Best Short FilmEntropiaHUN
2019Jury AwardXiang ZiCHN
SPA
2019Reader AwardBrief Story from the Green PlanetARG
GER
BRA
SPA
2019Special AwardFalk Richter
2020Best Feature FilmNo Hard Feelings GER
2020Best Documentary/Essay FilmIf It Were Love FRA
2020Best Short FilmPlayback. Ensayo de una despedidaARG
2020Jury AwardDays Tsai Ming-liangTWN
2020Reader AwardNo Hard Feelings GER
2020Activist AwardWelcome to ChechnyaDavid Isteev, Olga Baranova and Maxim Lapunov