35th Teddy Awards Lineup

May 30, 2021 Update: some films have been eliminated from the selection and today post is updated to final selection.

Most interesting news come from the TEDDY Foundation as will present the Special Teddy Award for outstanding achievement and long-term service to Jenni Olson, a figure from the creative industries whose work has made an exceptional contribution to a wide-scale public perception and reception of queer perspectives in art, culture and media. For more than a decade I have been following the work of Jenni Olson and believe if someone deserves recognition for his unparallel body of work is her as an outstanding film curator, archivist, filmmaker, writer and LGBT film historian. Congrats.

The Teddy Jury 2021 was also announced with three filmmakers and festival organizers.
Sylvie Cachinis, film director, Switzerland
Samuel Girma, curator of film and art, Sweden
Esma Akyelis, transfeminist activist, festival organizer, Turkey

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2/22/21
As orginazers say "Even as the world seems to be paused until further notice, the Teddy Award keeps on thriving! No stubborn pandemic can stop the 35th edition of the Teddy Award from spreading the same joyful energy with our LGBTQ+ community and beyond".

The Teddy Award section will follow the festival structure, which will be split into two parts this year: In the first phase of the 71st Berlinale from March 01 to 05 daily live studio talks, discussions, panels and interviews on current films as well as hot topics and developments in the queer media industry are being streamed via the Teddy Award online platforms. The Teddy Award film market events Queer Academy Summit, Programmers Meeting and Queer Connection will be taking place online as well, connecting queer filmmakers everywhere as well as we can.  These formats will also be available to the public.

The second phase will take place from June 9 to 20, live on location in Berlin, in cinemas and open air, together with the audience. The Teddy Award will be present with live news coverage and interviews on the queer films of the Berlinale. As a highlight, section will celebrate queer cinema with the virtual audience during the 35th Teddy Award ceremony.

The summer activities will be streamed live as well and designed in such a way that would also be feasible as online events. No matter what the world may look like:  the 35th Teddy Award, want to share a ray of queer joy, visibility and community with you in these chaotic times. Great!

The 2021 selection has nine (9) feature films, five (5) documentary/essay films, five (5) short films and two (2) TV series for a total of twenty-one films.  Yes, is a small selection but it's a good one with some films that seem quite interesting and one TV series that blew my mind (It's a Sin).

According to section press release "the films will be shown to the professional audience at the Industry Event of the 71st Berlinale at the European Film Market".  Gee, this is news for me, wasn't aware industry was going to see the films will check in the festival site to confirm what's going on.

Feature Film

Competition
偶然と想像 Guzen to sozo (Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy), Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Japan (L?)
Berlinale Special
Language Lessons, Natalie Morales, USA

Encounters
Das Mädchen und die Spinne (The Girl and the Spider), Ramon Zürcher abd Silvan Zürcher, Switzerland (L)
Moon, 66 Questions, Jacqueline Lentzou, Greece and France
The Scary of Sixty-First, Dasha Nekrasova, USA

Panorama
Der menschliche Faktor (Human Factors), Ronny Trocker, Germany, Italy, and Denmark
Glück (Bliss), Henrika Kull, Germany (L)
Kelti (Celts), Milica Tomović, Serbia (L)
Mishehu Yohav Misheu (All Eyes Off Me), Hadas Ben Aroya, Israel


Documentary/Essay Film

Panorama
Genderation, Monika Treut, Germany
Miguel's War, Eliane Raheb, Lebanon, Germany and Spain (G)
North By Current, Angelo Madsen Minax, USA

Forum
Esquí, Manque La Banca, Argentina and Brazil

Perspektive Deutsches Kino
Instructions for Survival, Yana Ugrekhelidze, Germany


Short Film
Blastogenese X (Blastogenesis X), Conrad Veit and Charlotte Maria Kätzl, Germany
International Dawn Chorus Day, John Greyson,Canada
Les Attendants (The Men Who Wait), Truong Minh Quý, France and Singapore (G)
Luz de Presença (A Present Light), Di Diogo Costa Amarante, Portugal
More Happiness, Livia Huang, USA


Berlinale Series
Entre Hombres (Amongst Men), Pablo Fendrik, Argentina
It's a Sin, Peter Hoar, UK


To read the complete press release go here, is a pdf file.