Ausente
Best Feature Film - Ausente by Marco Berger Homoerotic desire, suspense and dramatic tension combine to tell the story of the ambiguous relationship between a swimming teacher and one of his students.
Best Documentary - The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye by Marie Losier Genesis P-Orridge tells the story of his relationship with Jacqueline Breyer alias Lady Jaye in Marie Losier’s intimate documentary that brings insight into their personal gender-concept of “pandrogyny” and the beginnings of British industrial-music.
Best Short Film - Generations by Barbara Hammer and Gina Carducci and Maya Deren’s Sink by Barbara Hammer The jury gave the best short film prize to two films: Generations by Barbara Hammer and Gina Carducci, which celebrates experimental film and its form by combining traditional film techniques with digital processing and Hammer's Maya Deren's Sink, a tribute to the avant-garde filmmaker done with Ms. Hammer's indelible touch.
Jury Prize - “Tomboy” by Celine Sciamma A new feature from the director of Water Lilies, Celine Sciamma’s Tomboy beautifully explores a revelatory summer spent being a boy for 11-year-old Laure.
Special Teddy Awards were also given to South African drag performer and HIV/AIDS activist Pieter-Dirk Uys and recently deceased New German Cinema. At the annual gathering of queer programmers attending the Berlinale there were festivals from all over the world represented, including Moscow, Beijing, Mumbai, Belarus, Korea, Brazil and South Africa. The best news came from the folks at the Beijing festival, who for the first time were not shut down by the government and were able to show all their films. For me, this meeting demonstrated that the need for LGBT images is universal and made me even more excited to be bringing San Francisco the best in queer film this June!