Category Archives: Jury 2014

Meet the Jury: Lucia Kajankova

Name: Lucia Kajankova
Country: Czech Republic
Festival: Mezipatra

Kajankova_TeddyJury

How do you like Berlin? What is special about the city for you?
I adore Berlin and have been visiting the city quite regularly since I was 16. For me, it’s a sister-city to my home at Prague (and quite close to get there quickly) – but kinkier, more dynamic and mixed in what is there to experience expecially in the indie & queer scene, just the perfect place to be weird and enjoy that.

How would you describe the Berlinale in one sentence?
Where cinephiles, industry, emerging filmmakers, stars, friends and “wait-till-you-hear-about-my-new-project”-attention-hunters gather for ten days on an immensely fun and exhausting 10-day freezing hunt for films, caffeine and the one thing to remember after we all go home.

What was your first encounter with the TEDDY AWARD?
It was the same year I started programming and first visited Berlinale. Pretty much my whole schedule was quickly based on the TEDDY selection. Jake Yuzna’s Open, one of my favourite ground-breaking queer films won the Jury Special Mention.

In your eyes, what does the TEDDY AWARD symbolize? What does it stand for? What makes it unique?
It symbolizes the merge of grand film festivals (such as Berlinale itself, Cannes, Venice, Sundance and so) and the distinctive place of specialized queer / lgbt film festivals – as a communication space between the two worlds as well as an appreciation for the role queer / lgbt films and filmmakers have (and should have) in the main spotlight. And this was a long battle, of which TEDDY AWARD is one the important pioneers.

Tell us about a movie you’ve recently seen.
Wolf of Wall Street – pure orgy of what is the power of cinematic storytelling while rejecting the appeal to moralize that is often asked of artists. I tremendously enjoyed the film.

Meet the Jury: Julián David Correa

Name: Julián David Correa
Country: Colombia
Festival: Ciclo Rosa
Julian David Correa Caragena Foto Vicky Ospina

How do you like Berlin? What is special about the city for you?
I love Berlin. While growing up in Medellin, Colombia, and thought in Europe, I always imagine the whole continent like Berlin: A City protagonist of the western history, in which all cultures lives. I can imagine Döblin walking with Brecht, and both finding Wenders and Fassbinder in the middle of a noisy cabaret of the 20s.

How would you describe the Berlinale in one sentence?
The best film festival in the world, a summary of the diversity of cinema.

What was your first encounter with the TEDDY AWARD?
I began to find the name TEDDY AWARD when I selected films for Ciclo Rosa, and always saw the TEDDY AWARD linked with works and people I respect: Barbara Hammer and Julián Hernandez, among others.

In your eyes, what does the TEDDY AWARD symbolize? What does it stand for? What makes it unique?
I love a sentence by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea (director of “Fresa y chocolate”) about his film: “The theme of the story, and now the film is not homosexuality. The subject embraces much more: Friendship and intolerance […] Learning about differences, admit that world is full of very diverse and complex people”. The TEDDY AWARD and the arts are a way to discover the richness of our diversity.

Meet the Jury: Andrew Murphy

Name: Andrew Murphy
Country: Canada
Festival: Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival
andrew_2

 How do you like Berlin? What is special about the city for you?
I absolutely love this city and I hope to one day get back in summer (not during a festival) to really further explore all Berlin has to offer! My first international festival travel was to the Berlinale back in 2002. Hard to believe 14 years have past! I have developed many life long friendships and professional relationships here in Berlin. For those reasons alone, this city is very special to me. Not to mention the delightful thrift shops near Alexanderplatz…

How would you describe the Berlinale in one sentence?
A city that insists you pay attention to it, yet fronts it doesn’t care what you do.

What was your first encounter with the TEDDY AWARD?
I reckon I’ve been attending the TEDDY party for as many years as I’ve been coming to Berlinale and so the TEDDY AWARD, the party, its significance to Berlinale and to LGBT cinema worldwide, have all lent itself to my growth and development as a gay man.
To talk film specifically, I’m not sure if I’ve been more affected in a long time after seeing the Polish film last year, In the Name Of… It went on to win a TEDDY and my colleague Scott Ferguson, Executive Director at Inside Out and I knew after drying our eyes in cinema, this had to open our festival last year. And it did. It was a bold choice for Toronto, but I feel as one who grew up Catholic and gay, this film would both provide powerful story telling alongside key learnings and challenging our audience in relation to Queer cinema growing up.

In your eyes, what does the TEDDY AWARD symbolize? What does it stand for? What makes it unique?
Wieland [Speck] has done the LGBT arts community worldwide a great service by creating the TEDDY. No other A-list ‘mainstream festival’ has something so unique and representative of LGBTQ issues and stories. Yes, the cinematic world’s attention is on Berlin every February, but the TEDDY ensures that our stories about our community – our struggles, our celebrations, our varied realities – are all represented. Everyone gets screen time at Berlinale in context of the TEDDY and for that I can only be grateful for being exposed, and to have an opportunity to be entertained and educated every February – to take with me the rest of the year.

Tell us about a movie you’ve recently seen.
Finally caught The Broken Circle Breakdown. Combines my love for music and strong storytelling. This film is devastating in so many ways, but the way the songs were chosen to forward the narrative and with an extraordinary lead, it’s no wonder it’s on the road to Oscar!

Meet the Jury: Ellen Becht

Name: Ellen Becht
Country: Germany
Festival: pride pictures, Lesbisch-Schwule Filmtage Karlsruhe

Ellen Becht - Kopie

How do you like Berlin? What is special about the city for you?
Berlin is marvellous. I like its cultural events (especially classical music), the intercultural living together and of course the gay scene.

How would you describe the Berlinale in one sentence?
Melting pot of different cultures

What was your first encounter with the TEDDY AWARD?
When I visited the Berlinale for the first time a few years ago, I was very delighted, that there was such a thing like the TEDDY AWARD.

In your eyes, what does the TEDDY AWARD symbolize? What does it stand for? What makes it unique?
It combines a special perspective of living with an alternative way of expression in film art.

Tell us about a movie you’ve recently seen.
I watched In the name of… [TEDDY AWARD winner 2013] about a gay priest in Poland and his coming out. I like movies showing how people develop. This one was very sympathetic, also humorous, with impressing pictures and pretty authentic actors.