THE LOLLY AWARDS

Over a decade ago, XPOSED introduced its friendly competitive side with the Lolly Awards! The awards were born out of a passionate night of love between a Lola and a Teddy Award, bringing together the extraordinary in queer experimental filmmaking. We know that competition is not nice, and we often debate whether to keep the awards. Here are three reasons for doing so: awards give visibility to filmmakers and their films, thus ultimately supporting queer voices in film distribution. Each Lolly Award comes with a €250 cash prize, which is our small financial contribution to future filmmaking. And by inviting a film jury, we create the space and experience for queer cinephiles to intensely discuss films over four days.

The three Lolly Awards for Short Film and the winner of the 10th Queer Short Film Fund were presented by our XPOSED 2024 Jury in the Moviemento Lounge on Sunday, June 2nd, at 8pm. In addition, the XPOSED team announced the winners of the XPOSED Audience Award for Feature-Length Film and the XPOSED Audience Award for Short Film.

Winners 2024

Lolly Award: The River That Never Ends by John Thomas Trinidad, Philippines, 2022
Lolly Award: Beyond the Golden Line by SJ Rahatoka, Germany, 2024
Lolly Award: I Was Never Really Here by Gabriel Bihina Arrahnio, Germany, 2022
Honorable Mention: Taking My Time to Dance by Celeste Lapida, Philippines, 2022
Honorable Mention: Queer Exile by Ahmed Awadalla, Germany, 2024
Honorable Mention: Flores del otro Patio by Jorge Cadena, Colombia, Switzerland, 2022
XPOSED Audience Award for Short Film: Alex’s Machine (La Machine d’Alex) by Mael Le Mée, France, 2022
XPOSED Audience Award for Feature-Length Film: Queendom by Agniia Galdanova, USA, France, 2023

More info about the 2024 winners here

Our 2024 Lolly Award Jury

Zain Salam Assaad
(they/them)

Born and raised in Syria, Zain Salam Assaad has been navigating migrant aesthetic, academic, political, and literary realities in Germany since 2016. With a background in Communication and Media Studies, they are currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Global Studies in Berlin and Buenos Aires. They work as a freelance journalist and translator, focusing on LGBTQIA+ rights, migration, and digital trends. Over the past few months, they have been immersed in media innovation practices and the future(s) of media at Bayerischer Rundfunk, supported by the Media Lab Bayern.

They’ve also contributed a monthly column ‘Hypertext’ for the queer feminist German Missy Magazine, covering pop culture and socio-political news. Additionally, Assaad serves this year as a Democracy Fellow in the transatlantic network Humanity in Action, exploring political memory and memory politics. They also co-curate the discourse program at the ‘Balance Club / Culture Festival’ and co-organize the community project ‘softer spaces’, both based in Leipzig.

Instagram: @zainsalamassaad

João Carvalho
(he/him)

João Carvalho is a transmasculine filmmaker and visual artist based in Berlin. In his film works, he seeks to translate cinematically the sensory point of view of invisibilized subjectivities, experiencing space and time in the in-between of social norms. He considers the creation of audiovisual narratives in the context of artists collectives and film sets as a platform for community organising and a way to envision potentials of resistance and solidarity.

After an MA in Multimedia Arts in Brussels, he came to filmmaking in 2018 through his work with the production company and documentary collective pong Film Berlin. He then joined the self-organised Berlin film school filmArche and is now completing the post-graduate programme at the Cologne School of Media Arts, while working as director assistant and line producer for artist’s films and experimental documentaries, as well as in festival distribution and programming.

He has written and directed several short films such as the experimental short SHOULD I ASK ABOUT YOUR MOUSTACHE (XPOSED Queer Festival Berlin 2022), and the short fiction film WAIT YOUR TURN (2023, Mix Brazil, Bangalore Queer Film Festival, Reel Desires Chennai, Leeds Queer film festival). Parallel to his activities in arthouse film production, he also works as an artist and curator and collaborated with projects in art spaces, such as the Center for Photography in Geneva or District Berlin.

Instagram: @joao_carvalhx

Yulia Serdyukova

Yulia Serdyukova is a documentary film producer and curator. Member of Freefilmers cinemovement, co-founder of Filma. Feminist Film Festival. She is interested in producing and promoting works of independent filmmakers and grassroots initiatives that challenge colonial policies, capitalism, patriarchy and heteronormativity. Additionally, oftentimes works as a local producer for European media on covering the Russian war against Ukraine.

Ronnie Vitalia
(They/Them)

Ronnie Vitalia, a Sudanese Black feminist, lesbian rights activist, and Afropolitan writer, currently collaborates as a fellow on Cinelogue for their Afro Queer Voices film library section. With Afro Queer Voices, Ronnie commits to curating a collection of Afro-Queer films that focus on Black Queer visibility and bring the unique stories of Black LGBTQIA+ filmmakers from various backgrounds to the forefront.

Passionate about advancing African LGBTQIA+ and women’s rights, Ronnie combines their love for the arts with advocacy for social justice and equality for marginalised communities. They address the nuances of African Queer identities in their writing. Lastly, Ronnie strives to promote dialogue and diversity in cinema, community arts, cultural production, and management. With diverse experiences, including roles in Berlin’s cultural scene and contributions to feminist platforms, they bring versatile skills in creative writing, translation, and advocacy.

Instagram: @pxvivon

Please see below for a list of past LOLLY AWARD winners

2023

Food for thought Lolly Award: Tornar-se um Homem na Idade Média (Becoming Male in the Middle Ages) by Pedro Neves Marques, Portugal, 2022
Diverse Languages Lolly Award: Os Animais Mais Fofos e Engraçados do Mundo (The Cutest and Funniest Animals in the World) by Renato Sircilli, Brazil 2023
Relevation Lolly Award: Bigger on the Inside by Angelo Madsen Minax, USA, 2022
Honorable Mention: Behind Every Good Man by Nikolai Ursin, USA, 1967
XPOSED Audience Award for Short Film: A Letter to Myself – Valerie by Omar Gabriel, Lebanon/Canada, 2022
XPOSED Audience Award for Feature-Length Film: KOKOMO CITY by D. Smith, USA 2023

2022
Lolly Awards:
– Uma Paciéncia Selvagem me Trouxe Até (A Wild Patience has taken me here) by Érica Sarmet, Brazil, 2021
– Sitt el Beit (The Lady of the House) by Anya Kneez, USA, 2021
– อนินทรีย์แดง (Red Aninsri; Or, Tiptoeing on the Still Trembling Berlin Wall) by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, Thailand, 2020
Special Mention: SESTRE (SISTERS) by Kukla, Slovenia, 2020
XPOSED Audience Award for Short Film: Jackfruit by Thuy Trang Nguyen, Germany 2021
XPOSED Audience Award for Feature-Length Film: VALENTINA by Cássio Pereira dos Santos, Brazil 2020 and FRAMING AGNES by Chase Joynt, Canada & USA 2022

2021
Surpreme Lolly Award: INTERNATIONAL DAWN CHORUS DAY by John Greyson
Political Lolly Award: QUEBRAMAR (BREAKWATER) by Cris Lyra
Experimental Lolly Award: BARBÈS by Randa Maroufi

2019
Best XPOSED Short Film was awarded to: SOMETHING SAID from Jay Bernard
The Audience Choice Lolly Award for the best Short Film was awarded to: MARGUERITE by Marianne Farley
The Audience Choice Feature Film Lolly Award went to: THE SIGN FOR LOVE by El-Ad Cohen and Iris Ben Moshe

2018
Best XPOSED Short Film was awarded to: MY OWN WINGS from Katia Repina & Carla Moral & LATIFÚNDIO from Érica Sarmet
Best GERMAN Short Film was awarded to: RIOT NOT DIET from Julia Fuhr Mann
The Audience Choice Lolly Award for the best Short Film was awarded to: EVERYTHING THAT I’M NOT by Roman Manfredi

2017
Best XPOSED Short Film was awarded to: THE FOX EXPLOITS THE TIGERS MIGHT from Lucky Kuswandi
Best GERMAN Short Film was awarded to: BOY from Yalda Afsah
The Audience Choice Lolly Award for the best Short Film was awarded to: BOY from Yalda Afsah

2016
Best XPOSED Short Film was awarded to: AMERICAN REFLEXXX from Alli Coates
Best GERMAN Short Film was awarded to: HEIMAT XXX from Sebastian Dominic Auer
The Audience Choice Lolly Award for the best Short Film was awarded to: GOSPEL OF ANASYRMA von Elene Naveriani

2015
Best XPOSED Short Film was awarded to: SHYNESS IS NICE from Anna Helme
Best GERMAN Short Film was awarded to: PLEASE RELAX NOW from Vika Kirchenbauer
Best INTERNATIONAL Short Film was awarded to: HOLE from Martin Edralin
The Audience Choice Lolly Award for the best Short Film was awarded to: HOLE by Martin Edralin and Fahrt zur Hölle by Henning Beckhoff

2014
Best XPLICIT Short Film was awarded to: WANT SOME ORANGES from Goodyn Green
Best XPOSED Short Film was awarded to: UNDRESS ME from Victor Lindgren
Best GERMAN Short Film was awarded to: OFF WHITE TULIPS from Aykan Safoglu
Best INTERNATIONAL Short Film was awarded to HATCH from Christoph Kuschnig

2013
Best XPOSED Short Film was awarded to: ES HAT MICH SEHR GEFREUT from Mara Mattuschka
Best GERMAN Short Film was awarded to: IT’S CONSUMING ME from Kai Staenicke
Best INTERNATIONAL Short Film was awarded to GINGERS from Antonio da Silva

2012
Best XPOSED Short Film was awarded to: THROUGH THE WINDOW from Chen Shumowitz
Best GERMAN Short Film was awarded to: ZUCHT UND ORDNUNG from Jan Soldat
Best INTERNATIONAL Short Film was awarded to: THE BURIED from Jonathan Pope Evans

2011
Best XPOSED Short Film was awarded to: MURO by Juanma Carrillo
Best GERMAN Short Film was awarded to: MANN MIT BART from Maria Pavlidou
Best INTERNATIONAL Short Film was awarded to: STEAM from Eldar Rappaport