TEDDY Foundation

The TEDDY Foundation, a Berlin non-profit, backs and promotes movies by gay and lesbian filmmakers.

German filmmakers Wieland Speck and Manfred Salzgeber started it in 1987. Since then, it’s been a big deal for LGBTQ+ cinema, giving queer filmmakers much-needed recognition.

What you probably know them for are the TEDDY Awards. These are held every February during the Berlin International Film Festival, and they’re a major stop for queer filmmakers. People come from everywhere—filmmakers, industry types, regular movie buffs—to see who wins. The awards celebrate the best in gay and lesbian filmmaking, pushing the foundation's goal of getting more queer stories on screen.

The TEDDY Foundation, right here in Berlin, shows how much this city cares about LGBTQ+ art. If you like movies, queer culture, or just want to support independent film, look them up during award season. Or just check their website to see what else they're doing.