Teddy Award

In 1987 German filmmakers Wieland Speck[1] and Manfred Salzgeber formed a jury called the International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Association (IGLFFA) to create an award for LGBT films.

The first Teddy Award was given to Pedro Almodóvar for his film La ley del deseo, which featured Antonio Banderas.

The awards were originally founded in a gay bookshop in West Berlin, they were named after the cuddly toys which were sent as prizes to the winners.

The evening was organized from BeV StroganoV and workers of the bookstore Eisenherz in Berlin.

A Special Award is commonly, but not always, given to one or more individuals for a distinguished achievement in LGBT cinema, such as a lifetime career achievement as a director or performer or for a person's role in a project of significance to the history of LGBT cinema.

The Teddy Award statue located in the Schwules Museum
Pedro Almodóvar with black hair, wearing a bright shirt and looking to the front
Pedro Almodóvar won Best Feature Film at the inaugural ceremony in 1987 for Law of Desire .
Gus Van Sant looking to the right with hand on his chin
Two short films directed by Gus Van Sant , My New Friend and Five Ways to Kill Yourself , won the first Best Short Film award in 1987.
Derek Jarman wearing a denim shirt, smiling and putting hands against his ears
Derek Jarman won four times during his lifetime, including the Best Feature Film winners The Last of England (1987) and Wittgenstein (1993). A Special Award in honor of his legacy was given in 2008.
Tilda Swinton with slicked-back hair wearing suit and looking to the left
Tilda Swinton received the Jury Award in 1988. Starring in many films directed by Jarman, she was one of the 2008 Special Award recipients in honor of his legacy.
John Greyson smiling and looking to the front
Canadian director John Greyson has won five times, including two in the Best Documentary/Essay Film categories for Urinal (1989) and Fig Trees (2009).
Rosa von Praunheim wearing a black costume with glasses, facing to the left
Rosa von Praunheim won the Jury Award for Silence = Death in 1990 and was honored with the Special Award in 2014.
Tom Kalinwearing glasses and a vest outside a light blue shirt, looking to the front
Directed by Tom Kalin , Swoon won the first Audience Award in 1992.
Rob Epstein holding a microphone and smiling, while Jeffrey Friedman is seen standing behind him. Both wearing glasses and facing to the front
Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman have won twice in the Best Documentary Film category for their collaboration on The Celluloid Closet (1996) and Paragraph 175 (2000).
Romy Haag looking to the front
Romy Haag , the first individual Special Award winner in 1997.
Barbara Hammer facing to the right, wearing a red shirt
Three of Barbara Hammer films have won in the Best Short Film category: A Horse Is Not a Metaphor in 2009, Generations and Maya Deren's Sink in 2011.
Małgorzata Szumowska facing to the right
Małgorzata Szumowska 's In the Name Of won Best Feature Film and Reader Award in 2013
Ayat Najafi wearing a black shirt, holding a microphone in front of his belly, and smiling
Ayat Najafi , co-director of Football Under Cover , won Best Documentary Film and Audience Award in 2008
Isaac Julien facing to the left while wearing a white shirt, a black coat, and a black tie
Isaac Julien won Best Feature Film for Looking for Langston in 1989, and a Special Award in honor of Jarman in 2008
Constantine Giannaris wearing sunglasses and smiling
Constantine Giannaris won Best Short Film for Trojans (1990) and Caught Looking (1992)
Sébastien Lifshitz looking to the front, wearing a high neck sweater and a grey coat
Sébastien Lifshitz won Best Feature Film for Wild Side (2004), and Best Documentary Film for Bambi (2013)
Monika Treut putting her hand on her neck and smiling
Monika Treut won the 1999 Jury Award for Gendernauts: A Journey Through Shifting Identities , and the 2017 Special Award