Berlin's 20th
annual Teddy award goes to Filipino film

The Berlin International Film Festival's top Teddy queer film award was given out Friday night to The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros, Filipino filmmaker Auraeus Solito's boy-meets-cop drama about a 12-year-old cross-dresser in Manila who falls in love with a burly policeman. The festival, which ends Sunday, has been presenting a program of 36 queer films from past years in celebration of the Teddy's 20th anniversary (the first award was given to Spanish director Pedro Almodovar). Winners in other categories included Olivier Meyrou's Beyond Hatred (Documentary/Essay) and Maryam Keshavarz's The Day I Died (Short Film). (Advocate.com)