We are pleased to present the international jury for the 39th TEDDY AWARD. Three experienced film and festival professionals will view all films with a queer main plot from the Berlinale’s Queerlist, nominate three films in each category and select the winning films in the categories Best Feature Film, Best Short Film and Best Documentary / Essay Film. They also present the TEDDY Jury Award.

Allegra Madsen

(Pronouns: she/her)
Frameline, San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Executive Director & Programmer

Allegra Madsen leads the Frameline, San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival as Executive Director and Programmer. Since joining Frameline in 2021, she has expanded the festival’s reach and impact, bringing groundbreaking queer cinema to diverse audiences. Her commitment to inclusive cultural programming has strengthened connections between communities through the power of film, with a particular focus on emerging LGBTQ+ voices and transgressive narratives. Under her leadership, she has built valuable partnerships with international film festivals and cultural institutions while advocating for accessible programming that inspires meaningful cultural dialogue. Madsen is a sought-after speaker at forums around the world when it comes to the future of queer cinema.

Jan Künemund

(Pronouns: he/him)
DOK Leipzig
Programmer

Jan Künemund, freelance film journalist, curator and full-time agent, lives in Berlin, has worked for a cinema distributor and taught media studies at the University of Hildesheim, edited the queer cinema magazine “Sissy”, co-wrote the screenplay for his feature film “Lichtes Meer” (2004) with Stefan Butzmühlen, is a member of the selection committee of DOK Leipzig and public relations worker for the Schwules Museum. He also writes reviews and other texts about film, e.g. he was co-editor of “Queer Cinema Now” (2022).

Raul Niño Zambrano

(Pronouns: he/him)
Sheffield DocFest
Creative Director

Raul Niño Zambrano has been Creative Director of Sheffield DocFest since 2023. At Sheffield DocFest, Raul has spearheaded the launch of TV documentary series premieres, the innovative Podcast Pitch and most recently the creation of the Queer Realities Director’s Lab, designed to push and inspire creative boundaries in queer non-fiction storytelling.
Prior to that, he was a Senior Programmer at IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam). During his thirteen-year tenure at IDFA, Raul conducted the groundbreaking study The Female Gaze (2014), which explored the role of women in documentary filmmaking, and launched IFDA Queer Day in 2013. An active member of the documentary community, Raul has served as a juror for numerous prestigious international festivals as well as sharing his expertise as a tutor and industry mentor at renowned events such as Al Jazeera Documentary Industry Days, FESPACO, DMZ and the Bogotá Audiovisual Market.

Introduction of the TEDDY Jury