News 2015, Teddy 2015

MEET THE JURY : PREDRAG AZDEJKOVIC

January 29, 2015 chloe Leave a comment

Name : Predrag Azdejković
Country: Serbia
Festival: international queer film festival “Merlinka”

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

At least once a year I’m in Berlin. I can say that the reasons for my visits are sad and happy at the same time, because the majority of my friends left Serbia and now live in Berlin, and that’s sad, but at the same time I’m happy that I have the reasons to visit Berlin so frequently. Berlin is the city that I love very much, because you can be whatever you want without fear of violence.

How would you describe the Berlinale in one sentence?

Berlinale is the most important film festival in Europe, a big film fair were you see the most important films of the year. Also, Berlinale is a resource center for many smaller festivals, were you can find what you need, from newest queer films to distributors contacts.

What was your first encounter with the TEDDY AWARD?

The Serbian film “Marble Ass” with Vjeran Miladinovic Merlinka in the main role received the TEDDY AWARD in 1995. Merlinka was killed in 2003, and we named our festival after her in 2009. It was so important that such film received the TEDDY AWARD.

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

TEDDY AWARD is a part of film history, but also part of the LGBT movement and queer art history. TEDDY acknowledges many important low budget queer films from all over the world and gave a boost to many filmmakers to create queer films. In many cases awards are recognition of a brilliant film, but in TEDDY’s case it’s also a contribution to better fate of that film. We still live in a homophobic world where we must sometimes hide the queer element of the film if we want successes. TEDDY is contributing to that success without hiding the queer element. Und das ist auch gut so.

Blog, Teddy 2015

Uganda’s first LGBTI magazine

January 29, 2015 audrey 1 Comment

Activists published a new magazine as a campaign for more tolerance and enlightenment in Uganda. This is not an easy undertaking in a land, in which hate and prejudices are widely distributed.

Bombastic_MagCover1 — Cover Bombastic Magazine

To speak for the many voiceless

It just looks like all the other normal magazines which you can buy in every store. But ‘Bombastic’ isn’t a normal magazine. It’s the first LGBTI magazine in sub-Saharan Africa. Since last month, volunteers have been distributing the free magazine to the LGBTI community. At the same time, the radio station ‘Kuchu’ (translated Gay or Queen) went on air.
The magazine features homosexual and transgender people who talk about their experiences, wishes and life in Uganda. It is supposed to enlighten and to reduce prejudices. The aim of the people behind ‘Bombastic’ is to speak for the many voiceless Ugandan LGBTI and to share their stories. They receive financial aid from Ugandans homosexuals and also foreign sympathizers.

Against the stream for more tolerance

The organizers and supporters of ‘Bombastic’ know that the government and the church haven’t been waiting for a gay magazine. Neither public burnings of issues nor the threat of arrests are enough to prevent them to continue with the magazine.

kuchu_times_radio — Foto: Facebook/ Kuch Times Uganda

Homophobia is like part of the society in Uganda. Policy and society are not the only one who demonstrate their aversion for the LGBTI minority, the media are also openly hostile towards gay people. ‘Bombastic came about because we wanted to put right many of the falsehoods spread by the Ugandan media, which regularly publish against, humiliates and degrades homosexuals,’ said Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, human rights activist.

‘I rest my case, rest in peace David Kato’

The magazine also remembers one of the most popular gay activists in Uganda – David Kato. He is regarded as the founder of the Ugandan LGBTI movement and was the speaker of the human rights organization ‘ Sexual Minorities Uganda’. His open intercourse with his own homosexuality and his relentless effort for more tolerance made Kato a target of hostilities and police arbitrariness.
Kato was critically injured with a hammer in his own house on January 26, in 2011. He died on the way to the hospital.

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!

Blog, Teddy 2015

David Kato 4th Memorial Anniversary

January 26, 2015 audrey Leave a comment

‘David Kato was a hero not just to LGBT Ugandans, but to all Ugandans and to all supporters of human rights worldwide.’*

He was a teacher, human rights activist and founder of the LGBT commuinity in Uganda . As the speaker of the Ugandan LGBTI rights organization Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), David Kato campaigned tirelessly for human rights, and for the rights of LGBTI Africans in particular. He was was murdered in his home on 26 January 2011.

You will find a detailed article about the 4th anniversary of David Kato’s death on www.slate.com (english)

David Kato Award

Following David’s death , his colleagues from around the world came together to establish the David Kato Vision and Voice Award. Since 2014, the David Kato Award has been giving at the anual TEDDY ceremony. Winner of the last year’s award was the Cambodian transgender activist Sotheavy Sou.

*Frank Mugisha, Executive Director of SMUG

News 2015

In Memory of Suzy Capó

January 26, 2015 Sebastian 1 Comment

On the 9th of January this year Suzy Capó decided to end her life. She was among the epicenters of Queer Cinema: a strong, passionate, flamboyant, generous, spirited, resourceful, creative ball of energy, circling many universes, connecting worlds, people, films, lives and everything else, that always just barely fit into her gigantic suitcase that she took wherever she went. Suzy was a co-founder and for many years the artistic director of MIX Brazil, the largest LGBT film festival in Latin America, she programmed and curated for PopPorn Festival, the Asian Film Festival in São Paulo, Rio Int’l Film Festival, the São Paulo Int’l Short Film Festival, and the Latin American Film Festival in São Paulo. In 2009, Suzy Capó founded Festival Filmes, the first LGBT film distribution company in Brazil and most recently took in a key position in creating the Brazilian version of the Teddy: the Felix, which was presented for the first time at the Festival do Rio in 2014. She was a member of numerous film juries, including of course the TEDDY Jury in 2004. She was also a journalist, an actress, and a cultural producer in the truest sense of the word. She seemed to possess an endless capacity to create, to host, to facilitate: festivals, films, artists, filmmakers, transnational exchange. Continue reading In Memory of Suzy Capó →