All posts by Jenny

Teddy 2015

TEDDY Shorts at SchwuZ

February 14, 2015 Jenny Leave a comment

The TEDDYS have been awarded but the TEDDY events during the 65th Berlinale aren’t over yet! Tomorrow evening the TEDDY AWARD in cooperation with Mobile Kino and SchwuZ will screen documentary shorts from the Russian TEDDY Partnerfestival Side by Side, as well as some of the highlights from the TEDDY Shorts of the last years. The shorts form Russia show in different ways the living conditions of queer people in Russia nowadays.

“Who are they?” by Olga Privolnova shows everyday moments in the lives of Sasha, Masha, Lera, Natasha, Masher and Olya. They are lesbian, trans and bisexual. They are afraid of loneliness, trying to be honest with themselves and others and are looking for a meaning in their lives. Privolnova has created a sensitive portrait of these outcasts in Russian society.

In “Celebration Interviews” the director Alina Rudnitskaya is exploring how the law against “homosexual propaganda” has affected the lives of LGBTI people in Russia. In interviews they are talking about their fears, their pride and the ways in which they are forced to hide their sexual identity.

Olga Privolnova accompanies the HIV-positive gay men Demir and Kirill in “Leave the Room!”. How has the disease influenced their life and their love? What is the situation for HIV positive people in Russia like? How can hope develop in such a situation?

Kristina Kvitko investigates the tracks of a broken family in “Behind the Closed Door”. Natasha, her father and her son live in the same town, walk on the same streets but seem to be too distant for them to ever cross paths.

The Russian films will be screened with English subtitles. It starts at 8pm at SchwuZ, the entrance fee is 5 Euro. See you tomorrow!

Blog, Teddy 2015

What a Night!

February 7, 2015 Jenny Leave a comment

How was the TEDDY AWARD Opening Party at SchwuZ Club you ask? Why, it was grand, as expected. A celebration full of Sex, LOVE, and Rock’n’Roll. The arriving guests received a warm welcome in form of a free drink that could be won by spinning the wheel of fortune. Cheers to the colorful Teddy!

http://instagram.com/p/yxl1JKw6Sv/?modal=true

Panorama-Curator Wieland Speck joined the party and introduced to international TEDDY AWARD Jury. From Serbia and Argentina to Botswana, the jury work to get queer films the recogntition they deserve all over the world.

http://instagram.com/p/yx3YTvw6QP/?modal=true

A special highlight was the Sissy Show presented by the one and only Pansy. The dragqueen animated the audience and invited to sing along (…my heart will go oooon aaaand oooon…). It was hot and steamy!

http://instagram.com/p/yx8K5Tw6YT/?modal=true

http://instagram.com/p/yx8Zqww6Yj/?modal=true

Besides all the partying, there were also real issues to adress. The infostands of Queer Amnesty Berlin, TransInterQueer e.V. and the Schwules Museum concerned trans*issues. A special focus was on the whistleblower Chelsea Manning, who has been denied the right to the hormon therapy she has been asking for in prison. The organisation Free Chelsea Manning Berlin is fighting for her and was there at the party.

http://instagram.com/p/yxqn16Q6bH/?modal=true

The TEDDY AWARD social media campaign #shutuphaters is fighting against hate speech of any kind. At the Opening Party, there was a corner where everyone had the chance to be photographed with their personal messages to all the haters. The results can be seen on shutuphaters.org. We invite everyone to join the campaign, more people = stronger the statement!

http://instagram.com/p/yxcFD1w6Sa/?modal=true

It was a grand night with amazing people, great music and a magnificent atmosphere. Thank you and see you next friday at the Closing Party! Until then, get some rest!

http://instagram.com/p/yxySR3w6Yv/?modal=true

Blog, News 2015, Teddy 2015

Last Week in Review

February 3, 2015 Jenny Leave a comment

Missed the last TEDDY-news? No time to check our daily updates on our blog and social media? Don’t worry! Here’s everything you shouldn’t have missed.

Berlinale is two days away! This is not a drill! Yesterday, Panorama curator Wieland Speck gave an introduction to the queer films at Berlinale 2015. At Kino International, the queer film fans of Berlin came together.

http://instagram.com/p/ynOdd-w6TN/?modal=true

For everyone who couldn’t make it we can say this: the queer films at Berlinale this year will be great. For an overview, you can check them out on our website as well as on our blog. The TEDDY Programme Guide is also available for download. And just to give you an idea, here’s the trailer for one of the craziest queer films this year, the Swedish musical Dyke Hard:

Ena_Lind_by_Goodyn_Green2-200x300 — Ena Lind by Goody Green

Don’t forget that the TEDDY AWARD Opening Party at SchwuZ Club is this Friday! You can check out all the DJs here. We can assure you that it will be a night to remember. Lego & Marsmaedchen will play rock, Chance & Dark, Lucky Pierre and Ena Lind will provide you with electronic music and tons of other great DJs and artists will be there to entertain you!

The TEDDY wouldn’t be the TEDDY if, besides the music and the party, we wouldn’t also support important LGBTI causes. This year, we’ll have information booths concerning trans* issues and especially Chelsea Manning. The Whistle Blower has been sentenced to 35 years in prison. Chelsea has come out as a trans*woman over a year ago and still has to fight for the start of the hormonal treatment that was promised her by the US government. Chelsea Manning needs our support!

For those who want to read more about the TEDDY, we have been introducing the international TEDDY AWARD Jury on our blog all week. We also remembered the LGBTI activist David Kato on his 4^th memorial anniversary and reported on Bombastic, the first LGBTI magazine in Uganda.

http://instagram.com/p/yl7-hwMOtl/?modal=true

As seen above, people were actually camping in front of the Berlinale ticket counters this week, so it’s safe to assume that you guys are just as excited as we are for Berlinale to finally start. This is the last Week in Review. Starting Thursday the TEDDY Todays on this blog will inform you daily about everything that’s happening at Berlinale. We are looking forward to a great festival with you!

News 2015, Teddy 2015

Meet the Jury: Shana Myara

February 2, 2015 Jenny Leave a comment

Name: Shana Myara
Country: Canada
Festival: Vancouver Queer Film Festival

How do you like Berlin? What is special about the city for you?

This is my second trip to Berlin. It’s very affecting to be here, since I’m the first member of my family to return since my grandmother fled in 1940.

How would you describe the Berlinale in one sentence?

It’s a film-lovers festival–for a queer diversity of us.

What was your first encounter with the TEDDY AWARD?

In 2007, I saw Tilda Swinton at the Teddy Awards Gala!

In your eyes, what does the TEDDY AWARD symbolize? What does it stand for? What makes it unique?

It’s an incredibly important prize, and it shows that The Berlinale takes pride in its LGBT themes. Importantly, it also sends an vital cultural message about acceptance that transcends film and hopefully enters everyday life.

Tell us about a movie you’ve recently seen.

Le Bal. With my mother last night. Extraordinary film and vision.

Blog, News 2015, Teddy 2015

Last Week in Review

January 27, 2015 Jenny Leave a comment

Missed the last TEDDY-news? No time to check our daily updates on our blog and social media? Don’t worry! Here’s everything you shouldn’t have missed.

Just eight more days, then it’s Berlinale time! Today, the big Berlinale press conference was held today, and the TEDDY team represented.

We are proud to announce two great new events. Ingrid Caven und Udo Kier will come together for a unique conversation as part of the Berlinale Talks. They will talk about their time with Rainer Werner Fassbinder. We are looking forward to a special evening with two exceptional artists. The talk will take place on February 12^th from 8 to 9 pm at the Audi Berlinale Lounge on Marlene-Dietrich-Platz. The entry is free and everyone’s invited!

Before Udo Kier meets Ingrid Caven, he will join another Berlinale Talk, this time with Deutschlandradio Kultur. On February 6^th from 2 pm he will talk about his life work, his love for art and what the Special TEDDY AWARD means to him. The talk will be broadcasted on February 9^th at 9 am by Deutschlandradio Kultur. Everyone who witnessed Udo Kier live before knows that he is a great entertainer and that the interview is a must-go for every film buff. Here’s a little taste of Udo (his one-man-show starts at minute six):

The program for the TEDDY AWARD ceremony is now complete! We are looking forward to the cycle artists Felix and Flow. The brothers perform tricks on their bike that others couldn’t even do on the ground. A unique and breathtaking act!

After the award ceremony, the party continues at the TEDDY AFTERSHOW LOUNGE. The newly founded l’ensemble transes continentales and the DJs Das blaue Wunder feat. Magnus und Norbert will create a great atmosphere. The latter are resident DJs of the Kreuzberg institutions Südblock and Möbel Olfe. L’ensemble transes continentales will play vibraphone, piano, saxophone and many more instruments and invites us to dream to their music.

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES — L’ensemble transes continentales

On our blog, Audrey has written a piece about a new law in Russia, that forbids trans*persons to drive and we collected voices in memory of Suzy Capó, founder of the Felix Award. More information about the artists performing at the TEDDY AWARD Gala can be found here. All the events for the TEDDY 2015 can be found here. All the TEDDY films 2015 are now online as well!

Our website and blog will be constantly updated with news about the TEDDY 2015, the lazy ones can read the next Last Week in Review with all the important news.

See you next week!