Film by Ira Sachs Receives Top Honor in Queer Cinema
KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, directed by Ira Sachs, has won the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film. Presented this past week at the 62nd Berlin International FiFestival, the Teddy is the film festival world's highest honor for queer cinema.
KEEP THE LIGHTS ON is an autobiographically inspired story of a passionate long-term relationship between two men driven apart by addiction and secrets. "The film etches an intimate portrait of the difficulties in building relationships that are loving, supportive and truthful," the Teddy jury said in their statement, "Delicately balancing acute observations and cinematic mastery, the film brings alive universal themes with unique breadth of vision."
Past Teddy Award recipients include Lisa Cholodenko's THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT and Pedro Almodovar's LAW OF DESIRE. The Teddy's nine-member jury consists of queer film festival organizers from around the world.
Starring acclaimed Danish actor Thure Lindhardt (INTO THE WILD) and Zachary Booth (TV's DAMAGES), KEEP THE LIGHTS ON shot this past summer at some of New York City's most notable gay gathering spots, including Julius Bar and Eastern Bloc.
"The Teddy Award has for 26 years encouraged queer filmmakers like myself to make films about our lives, and its a great honor for me to have KEEP THE LIGHTS ON included in this prominent lineage of queer cinema," said Sachs, "I hope that the recognition the Teddy brings to the film inspires others who have kept the details of their lives in darkness, to share their stories, and keep the lights on."
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