With deep sadness, the TEDDY AWARD mourns the loss of Rosa von Praunheim.

Rosa von Praunheim was a companion, pioneer, and award recipient of the TEDDY AWARD from its very beginning. Through his fearless, uncompromising, and profoundly political body of work, he helped make queer cinema visible at a time when visibility was far from given—and in doing so, helped create the very space the TEDDY stands for today.

He was a voice of resistance, a provocateur, a mentor, and an unwavering advocate for visibility, self-determination, and solidarity. Rosa shaped not only queer film culture, but also the spirit and attitude of the TEDDY AWARD: the courage to be uncomfortable, and the belief that art can—and must—create change.

We mourn a friend and a pioneer.
Thank you, Rosa.