he Teddy Prizes have been awarded within the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival (founded 1950) since 1987 when two open gays from the film world Manfred Salzgeber, a film distributor, and Wieland Speck, a director and organiser, put forward the idea of a prize for films with a gay and/or lesbian content. Since 1991 the Teddy Prize winners have been officially announced in the festival bulletin and now the head of the festival takes part in the separate award ceremony for the Teddies.

During the Berlin film festival (1998) I watched 38 full length feature films in 12 days. Below is a résumé critique of some. Readers should know that the author has a "thing" about over-long films and is of the opinion most films would be better if cut. Such considerations do not apply, of course, to his articles!

C. de la Motte-Sherman

A special jury prize went to Carlos Siguion-Reyna's (Philippines) The man in her life for its portrayal of individuals in a restricted society. The main character ends up teaching in a school where the head is gay, but only finds this out after marrying him. The film depicts the homophobia of the local loons and a symbolic triumph over it.

I think I do (Brian Sloan, USA), was in the running for the award from Siegessäule (Berlin gay/lesbian magazine) Reader's Jury and described as a "screwball comedy", but unless one is "in the know" this can be misleading. The film is not great art, neither comparable to John Greyson's Lilies nor Thom Fitzgerald's The Hanging Garden, but ... the film's director Brian Sloan wrote "it is conceived in the tradition of the 30s and 40s "screwball comedies" in which things were done and said with humour which otherwise would have been censored.” The film is amusing, makes you laugh and chortle about the problems of gays coming out in a world where marriage is expected and may well cause some viewers to think who would not otherwise have done so. This is also a first feature film so maybe the future is bright for gay comedy. We need it.

Uncut (John Greyson, Canada) was given a special mention by the Teddy jury, but his Lilies – out last year – was better and more worth watching – especially for non-Canadians!

In absolute contrast to The Hanging Garden (see below) - made in black/white, with amateur actors, Toto che visse due volto (Sicily/Italy) by Danieli Cipri and Franco Maresco, shows mass masturbation in a cinema toilet, buggery (with animals), and an angel having anal sex with village loon no. 2, (the first is already crucified) but although potentially very good – it needs editing. Hysterically funny in places the version shown in Berlin was not the final one according to the film makers. There are big, obviously big, cultural differences between peasant Sicily and Megalopolis, but the audience reacted very well to the film. "Christ" ends up in an acid bath. It is becomes a powerful act when one knows that the Mafia killed its victims in this way.

Hold You Tight (Hong Kong) was awarded the Teddy for the best  feature film in a gay/lesbian context and also the Alfred Bauer Prize in honour of the founder of the  International Film Festival in Berlin.

Brandon Teena arrived in Falls City, Nebraska in 1993. His good-looks and boyish charm won him friends and a pretty girl-friend. Some three weeks later, after being raped and beaten, he was murdered – by two "friends" who had discovered "he" was physically a "she". The Brandon Teena Story  (USA, Teddy best doc-film) von Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdóttirn is a fine documentary which has the tension of a good feature film. Unfortunately it is fact. Kiss, Cuddle and Celebrate (Peter Kern, Germany)  A bunch of ageing queens relate their past, drink a beer, and go in search of "fresh flesh" for trip to Venice. Sociologically interesting and worth watching but the plot is thin and "it" needs cutting!

Sex Life in L.A. (Jochen Hick, Germany) deals with men who in various ways earn their living with the body. As in “real” life some make it good, some muddle through, others are left by the wayside. It's a pot pourri of porno-actors, male whores, and a photographer. Quite interesting, and if you are in to seeing an acquaintance of Madonna's wanking in the bath, go to it!

Other gay/lesbian films

which were shown privately for buyers, and may "soon" be at your local flea-pit. All the Rage (USA) satirises the arrogance of a gay Yuppie. He is clever, gorgeous, rich and every gay in Boston wants him in bed. Almost everything goes wrong when he falls for a "normal" gay who doesn't spend hours in the gym and preening himself each day.

Celestial Rhapsody (USA). The difficulties of overcoming the loss of a loved partner are handled as a feature film - based on Mark McNease's own experiences following the death of his lover. It is good, funny, but sentimental in places. Nevertheless highly recommended – by this author - as a good attempt to deal with the " life after " as distinct from death.

The Hanging Garden (Canada, Thom Fitzgerald). This is a first feature film. It is has a good story and is cinematically of high quality. Sweet William returns to his sister's wedding after fleeing from his tough immigrant family. The events which follow are realistic, dramatic and surprising. It opens the London lesbian and gay film festival (March '98) and took the Audience Award and Best Canadian Feature Film prizes in Toronto's Film Festival last year. The director wrote: "I created The Hanging Garden to send a message to unhappy people that, no matter how much you hate your life and yourself in the current moment, it is possible to become the person you want." It is very good – and doesn't need cutting!

Shadow of the Clouds (Jonas Cornell, Denmark) In 50 minutes the director creates the atmosphere of the 1950's and a tension which reflects the difficulties at the time for a lawyer to "date" a young man. A quality "half-length" film with a surprise ending.

Surrender Dorothy (Kevin B. Di Novis,USA): Di Novis who, directed, and Dorothy told me he got the idea from Caligula the Roman Emperor who promised a (male) slave his freedom if he took over the role of the Emperor's beloved dead wife. The result a black comedy about two nominally straight men, is reminiscent of  Frankenstein, and quite brutal in places – and needs cutting!

Short films

Charlotte in Sweden Charlotte von Mahsldorf who was one of the founders of the gay movement in the GDR moved to Sweden last year. This is a film showing a day in the life of. It is boring but only 14 minutes long. In Finale a gay policeman meets his "toy boy" in the course of work – and is "persuaded" to give him a blow job – with consequences.

Peppermills (Isabel Hegner (USA) was awarded the best short film Teddy for "creating in twelve minutes a sense of subtle eroticism with exquisite camera work". Geek - NYC‘s Secret Side Show (Knut Vesterkov, Denmark) is an interesting experimental film, which has some very beautiful sequences but is in places so compacted that– for me – it was confusing. An experimental film which deals with the life of "queens" and transvestites in New York.

The Warhol Nation: Andy Warhol's parents came from part of eastern Slovakia populated by a Slav people called Rusyn or Ruthenian. His family name was originally Warhola. The film is interesting for background to Warhol who was seemingly influenced by his parents origins. But it is politically so influenced by the nationalism of the Ruthenians, and their newly found God-figure, Warhol, that it swings from unbearable to silly.

Films of general interest

Caresses Ventura Pons (Spain) The tendency to include gay characters in "straight" films leads to the question whether this is a sop to liberal attitudes – or genuinely part of the plot as in Caresses. Eleven episodes of lonely people at night in a big city are related. One deals with an older homo who seeks comfort from a male prostitute. Another episode involves a lesbian.

Sue by Amos Kollek (USA) received a prize from the International Film Critics Association for "its success in ... the portrayal of a young woman's social and emotional decline". Sue played by Anna Thomson uses sex with random men in random places to alleviate her loneliness, but can't manage a deeper relationship.

Among the other films readers might want to see are WAG THE DOG (USA) which is very funny, and very topical. THE LAND GIRLS (GB) significantly set in Dorset, although a modern novel comes over like a Thomas Hardy novel.  GREAT EXPECTATIONS (USA) is a brave attempt to modernise Dickens which comes out like a fairy tale. THE COMMISSIONER (Mixed up, Europe) isn't worth the money spent on it.  THE OPIUM WAR (Hong Kong) is good if you're interested in history and not unbearably nationalistic as it might have been. LEFT LUGGAGE dealing with religious narrow-mindedness, and the problem of identity for Jews after the Holocaust. I want you has some beautiful shots and they make what is a little more than a clever crime story worth watching.

Despite having no direct relation to the gay/lesbian world Hollywoodism (Simcha Jacobovici, Canada) is an important film. Most of the big film studios were founded by Jewish emigrants from Eastern Europe. Hollywoodism  is a political history of H. and the urgent desire for assimilation – by the Jewish community there. A desire which when the shit hit the fan during the McCarthy era, didn't help them. Incidentally, in a speech by the first Chairman of the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) on the floor of Congress he speaks of the communist danger, but goes on to say "they" crucified Christ and continues in a clearly anti-semitic tone. The problems depicted in the film are not unrelated to the discussions raging in the gay/queer community today (being out, identity, assimilation etc.).

Colin de la Motte-Sherman (1998)