CineKinkster

I've got your stimulus package, right here!

2009-11-03T19:31:00.005-05:00

Speaking of Sarah Palin... here she is, appearing in last year's festival trailer for CineKink NYC:

Okay, now... go vote!

Best of NYC!

2009-10-29T12:08:00.009-05:00

A lovely gift greeted our return from Berlin this week... the realization that we'd been selected by the Village Voice for their annual "Best of NYC" issue!

We're naturally very honored that the publication has distinguished us as being the city's Best Way to Watch Smutty Movies:

If you're wary of catching an Xtube virus and are looking for cleaner digs than whatever's left of Times Square's naughty picture joints, CineKink NYC is there for you. Each February, this festival provides the means for you to ditch the laptop and the privacy of your own home, and enjoy kinky film the way it's meant to be enjoyed—in the company of strangers, of course.

Of course! (Though if you'd like to bring a friend along, that's perfectly fine, too.)

Read along here for the rest of the accolades...

Where in the world...

2009-10-28T09:06:00.014-05:00

...have we been hiding? For the past week, at least, it's been off to Germany, where we had the pleasure of attending the Pornfilmfestival Berlin!

A wonderful event with a familiar merging of independent cinema and sex-positivity, it felt quite a bit like old-home week, even if we were on unfamiliar terrain. We came across many new films and directors we'll hope to feature at the next edition of CineKink NYC. And, in a historic gathering--we finally have enough erotic/sex/porn film festivals to call a meeting!--chatted with other curators and presenters whom we'll look forward to collaborating with in the future.

In addition to presenting a program we'd specially curated for the festivities, CineKink's Kinky Bits, it was also a delight to catch up with CineKink alumni filmmakers Charles Lum, Jennifer Lyon Bell, Candida Royalle, Julie Simone and Sofia Varino, while finally getting to meet directors whose works we've featured, including Anna Span and Shine Louise Houston.

Alas, after their brilliant performance at the Pornfilmfestival Berlin party, we found ourselves too star-struck to finally say hello to the rest of the notorious Norwegian singing sensation, The Hungry Hearts, even though their piece In the Closet screened at CineKink NYC 2009.

We'll hope to resolve our shyness someday. Meanwhile, we'll continue to admire from afar. And play In Your Face (The International Lesbian Anthem), over and over and over again. (It's stuck in my head... might as well be in yours, too!)

Mumbleporn? Swanberg revolutionizes full frontal!

2009-10-02T10:37:00.012-05:00

Recalling his shocked dismay upon learning of all the governmental regulations around filmic depictions of sex, we'd like to think that director Joe Swanberg's participation in our SXSW panel, The Porn Police: Know The Rules, may have finally inspired him to cover his, um, ass.

In any case, we're very intrigued by the revolutionary technology he's utilizing on his new movie, Birthday Suit, an amazing advance that allows him to create the illusion of graphic sexual content. "If anybody, for even a split second, realizes that it's a digital erection, then we have failed," says Joe.

Here's a behind-the-scenes report from the set:

Birthday Suit from Jason Lewis

It's not that complicated. Well, maybe kinda... but still.

2009-10-01T08:43:00.007-05:00

More polyamory in the mainstream of late. First up, on Parks and Recreation, Leslie meets April's boyfriend... and April's boyfriend's boyfriend. He's gay for him, but straight for her and well, you know.

(Hat-tip Practical Polyamory)

And next, writer Jenny Block, author of Open: Love, Sex and Life, introduces the concept of polyamory to a less accepting (and real-life) audience. Wearing a brazen red dress, she appears at a Texas church--and holds her own--discussing the relationship she has with her husband and girlfriend on "Nightline Face-Off: Born to Cheat?"

Are you ready to submit?!

2009-09-29T09:04:00.003-05:00

CineKink NYC--"the kinky film festival"--is seeking films and videos, of any length and genre, that explore and celebrate the wide diversity of sexuality. Dedicated to the recognition and encouragement of sex-positive and kink-friendly depictions in film and television, we're looking to blur some boundaries and will be considering offerings drawn from both Hollywood and beyond, with works ranging from documentary to drama, camp comedy to hot porn, mildly spicy to quite explicit--and everything in between.

Cutting across orientations, topics covered at CineKink have included--but are by no means limited to - BDSM, leather and fetish, swinging, non-monogamy and polyamory, roleplay and gender bending, sex work and sex geekery. Basically, as long as it involves consenting adults, just about anything celebrating sex as a right of self expression is fair game. (Far be it from us to define "kink"--if you think your work might make sense in this context, please send it along!)

Scheduled for its seventh annual appearance February 16-21, 2010, the specially-curated CineKink NYC will also feature a short film competition, audience choice awards, a special adult entertainment showcase, presentations, parties and a gala kick-off event, with a national screening tour to follow.

Discounted, early-bird entries have a post-marked deadline of October 23rd, while the standard deadline is November 15th and the final deadline is December 4th.

For more information and to download an entry form, visit http://www.cinekink.com/entries.

Forget Kanye...'I'm Polyamorous' on MTV!

2009-09-15T09:08:00.007-05:00

Slightly lost in the ongoing hub-bub over Kayne West's outburst on the Music Video Awards, this week MTV True Life premiered an episode, "I'm Polyamorous," that follows young polyamorous sorts in both NYC and the Carolinas.

Diana Adams, one of these sorts, writes of the experience:

The decision to share my polyamorous life with millions of people on MTV is scary because being non-monogamous is taboo. I don’t think polyamory is right for everyone, and I respect monogamous relationships, but I’ve found that having more than one partner is really right for me. I am telling my story so that young people will realize that there are many choices in relationships, love, and family style. Breaking the rules about what love should look like and sharing that with the world is risky, but being fearlessly open to the world also feels incredibly freeing!

Shortly available online, the episode will be airing on MTV throughout the month and posts from those featured in the show will appear on the blog for the series. Take a look, leave your comments, share with the world what's worked for you--or not--in polyamory!

How about a thumbs up?!

2009-08-27T23:35:00.003-05:00

We recently submitted a couple of proposals on topics we'd like to present at the next SXSW festival--and we'd love your thumbs-up support on either or both if you're so inclined.

Both proposals have been included in the SXSW 2010 PanelPicker, the rather sadomasochistic tool that the event uses to help determine which topics will ultimately be included... your "yes" votes and comments can definitely make a difference!

#1 - The Porn Police Are STILL at the Door
Not just for pornographers, the notion for this panel grew out of our work curating CineKink, as we noticed that entries submitted by filmmakers from the adult sphere typically included notice that federal record-keeping requirements for sexually explicit material had been properly met, while those coming from the independent film world did not. (If you’re thinking “2257, huh?” that could probably be you!) Making matters worse, the regulations have recently been expanded to cover not just actual or documentary depictions of sex, but simulated situations—ie fiction—as well.

Yikes, you say? Pick this panel!

#2 - Was It Something I Said? TOS And Content
Meanwhile, this panel was inspired by the frustrations we've experienced over the years trying to position and promote a sex-related endeavor on the internet--from finding a web host and sending email blasts, to processing ticket sales and donations, to creating an identity in social marketing and getting our videos placed on popular sites. Seemingly the old adage--“I’ll know it when I see it”--flourishes online, where murky definitions of what content is and is not allowed abound. One gatekeeper’s “inappropriate” is another’s “adult” is another’s “offensive, obscene and/or pornographic.” How are we affected as users and creators--and is there any recourse?

Wanna find out? Pick this panel!

Another kerfuffle down under!

2009-08-24T10:27:00.019-05:00

We've just got word from Jennifer Lyon Bell that her CineKink award-winning short film, Matinée, has been banned from screening publicly in Australia.

Jennifer's piece was scheduled to run tomorrow at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival. But the event has been informed by the nation's censorship board, the Office of Film and Literature Classification, that of all of the selections submitted for permission to screen as "unrated"--which is typically how Australian festivals are able to screen independent works which haven't gone through a costly classification process--Matinée could not be exhibited. (Another film presented at CineKink, Tony Comstock's documentary Damon & Hunter enjoyed this dubious distinction back in 2006!)

In a statement of protest published by MUFF, Jennifer questions the OFLC's decision:

The sexual relationship portrayed by the characters Mariah and Daniel in Matinée is not only a consensual, emotional and nuanced relationship, but their sex plays an important role in the story of the film. The story is not tacked on to the sex; rather, the story has everything to do with the way the characters continue to communicate nonverbally throughout the entire sex scene.

And festival director Richard Wolstencroft, after extolling the work's artistic merits and noting its relevance in promoting a positive view of female sexual empowerment, criticizes the ban as sexist and hypocritical in light of other recent descisions by the OFLC :

Lars Von Trier’s ‘Antichrist’ was recently passed by the OFLC for the Melbourne International Film Festival. This film depicts extremely high levels of sexual violence and genital mutilation, and encourages a phallocentric vision in its audience that touches on the idea that women are inherently evil. ‘Matinee’ depicts actual sex between two adults in a loving and consenting partnership, and significantly it focuses on the importance of women’s pleasure in sexual intimacy, and presents a remarkably strong female lead. Passing ‘Antichrist’ but banning ‘Matinee’ reveals a tendency in the OFLC to suppress films which strengthen female sexuality on screen and to allow films which encourage view that female sexuality is damaged, fractured or violent.

There's been some talk that MUFF will go ahead with its originally intended screening as an act of civil disobedience. That would be as part of the Mini Muff Session #5, scheduled for Wednesday, August 26 @ 7pm.

Action Alert: Vote for the Yodeling Dominatrix!

2009-08-05T01:06:00.007-05:00

Don't ever say we're not timely! Well, okay, lots of times we're not, but tonight we're responding to an urgent plea from CineKink alum Tonya Bezra, who writes:

There was just an amazing act on America's Got Talent where a woman did a really cute 50's domination scene... but the judges "gong showed" her off so she couldn't even finish. The judges all expressed disappointment at her not staying with what she had done in the qualifying rounds which was "yodeling dominatrix" like in a more pvc cat woman look. My heart just went out to her. Because it was clear that she didn't want to be a one-gimmick pony and the 50's housewife dominatrix thing was so cute. Anyway, so my fantasy of fantasies is that people will call in and vote for this woman. Her name is Manuella Horn. To vote for her you dial 1-866-602-4505.

Here she is, above, doing a retro-themed roleplay performance on tonight's episode.

And here is Manuela's infamous appearance as the "Yodeling Dominatrix", when she made the first qualifying round back in June.

You have until 6 am ET/3 am PT to cast your vote and fulfill Tonya's fantasy!

That's a WIDE, wide love.

2009-07-24T15:16:00.007-05:00

Come inside for the latest from CineKink alum James Westby (The Auteur, 2009), the music video for Storm Large's Eight Miles Wide from her one-woman show, Crazy Enough:

....taking the phrase "vagina music" to raucous extreme!

Hey...you got socially redeeming importance in my prurient interest!

2009-07-21T16:15:00.014-05:00

(image via SIU School of Law)

Given the promises made within the bold red circle on the cover, you can imagine our delight when we stumbled upon our parents' copy of the unexpurgated edition of Lady Chatterley's Lover, tucked way, way up high on the top shelf of their bookcase. And, if you happened to read the same tome as an eager youth, you can also appreciate our growing disappointment as we realized the book was a bit more, well, literary than some other titles found in their 1970s-era library.

All of that was possible thanks to a court decision made 50 years ago today--resulting from the efforts of Grove Press publisher Barney Rosset, who sued the US Postal Service for confiscating copies of the uncensored version of the novel, which had long been banned for its explicit descriptions of sex and liberal use of the f-word. As recounted in the New York Times, an attorney hired by Rosset, Charles Rembar, spotted a loophole in an earlier Supreme Court ruling and argued that while a work might be found obscene, it could at the same time present ideas of "redeeming social importance" - and qualify for First Amendment protections afterall.

Though obscenity battles continue on today, a ruling on July 21, 1959 in favor of Grove Press took away the Post Office's absolute authority to impound and restrict such works. And paved the way for Lady Chatterley's Lover to find its way to bookshelves throughout America, to be joined later by such subsequent Grove Press gems as the first US edition of The Story of O and "My Secret Life," the purported erotic memoir of a Victorian gentleman, along with many less prurient offerings over the years.

Barney Rosset's heroic skirmishes against censorship and the ups and downs of Grove Press are detailed in the recent documentary Obscene:

A big 'O' for the Eleven?

2009-07-14T14:35:00.011-05:00

Among the usual and many pleasures at the most recent CineKink NYC, we also had the new fun of watching eyes widen and jaws drop as festival-goers caught first sight of The Perfect Eleven, given to us by long-time CineKink sponsor njoy and displayed as the grand prize in a silent auction raising funds for the festival. (And, O what a prize!)

Tonight, the gleaming hunk of perfection will compete for one of the first ever "O" awards, presented by AVN, going up in the category of "Outstanding Innovation for 2009."

njoy has also been nominated for awards in marketing, packaging and overall product design and a favorite classic, the Pure Wand, pictured below with njoy's Greg Delong at CineKink's kick-off gala, competes for recognition as "Outstanding Non-Powered(!) Product."

Here's but an overview of some of the other nominees up for recognition this evening. Meanwhile, our happy congratulations to njoy--and best wishes to all of our friends taking part in the event!

Taking it to the White House

2009-06-30T09:36:00.012-05:00

CineKink alumni director Scott Bloom (CineKink '06 & '08) reports that a copy of his amazing documentary, Call Me Troy, was handed off to Michelle Obama during yesterday's meet-up with LGBT community leaders.

A profile of gay rights activist and founder of Metropolitan Community Churches, Rev. Troy Perry, the work is an important chronicle of the fight for sexual freedom and a moving tribute to a man who proclaimed that sexuality and religion - Christianity, even! - need not be separate.

Here's hoping the President makes time in his schedule for a screening and, inspired by Troy's example, room in his heart to be a truly "fierce advocate" for LGBT rights.

Oh, Farrah

2009-06-25T23:26:00.003-05:00

At one point in time, we thought we wanted to be her. Now, looking back on this scene from the camp classic, Myra Breckinridge, we suspect another slightly confused dynamic might also have been at play.

A fond farewell. (And a bonus sighting of film critic Rex Reed!)

'Sex Positive' in NYC - this weekend!

2009-06-11T12:15:00.007-05:00

The CineKink award-winning documentary Sex Positive, a compelling history of safer sex and profile of activist Richard Berkowitz, who helped pioneer the concept, opens this weekend in NYC at The Quad. A special Q&A featuring Richard and the film's director, Daryl Wein, will be held after the 7:45 ~~& 9:45~~ screenings on Friday through Sunday.

Dates have also been announced for LA and San Francisco, but a good turn-out this weekend will help the film get booked into other cities.

A must-see!

Bring it, America!

2009-06-09T14:31:00.006-05:00

We originally noticed the art form in conjunction with the first annual Air Sex World Championship, held last fall in Austin, but haven't yet witnessed the act first-hand.

That will change this week--for much of America--as the competition takes to the road in search of this year's champion Air Sex performer. Kicking off tonight in Atlanta, the tour takes place over the next three weeks in cities across the nation.

Think you've got what it takes? Take a peek at last year's action for some guidelines and be prepared to serve it up!

Oh, TED

2009-06-02T12:49:00.004-05:00

As part of the prestigious TED lecture series, Bonk author Mary Roach dips into scientific research to share "Ten things you didn't know about orgasm."

Or maybe you did, but diverting nonetheless.

More "do me," less DOMA!

2009-05-27T09:48:00.009-05:00

While it's common belief that each letter received from a constituent represents at least 100 others who held that particular opinion, we're unsure of the equivalency of a mailed flip flop. What is clear, however, is that in the month ahead, President Obama has the opportunity to stand aside and let a lawsuit against the Defense of Marriage Act move forward unchallenged.

A law the President himself has described as "abhorrent," DOMA, which prohibits the Federal recognition of same-sex unions, has been taken on in a lawsuit filed by several Massachusetts couples. And the folks at Operation DOMA Flip Flop want to make sure that President Obama stays true to his principles and refuses to defend the unconstitutional statute:

The decision must come down by June 29th, so whether you choose to send a flip flop--or perhaps a respectful-yet-compelling missive neatly written on a sheet of fine stationery--you have only a limited time to weigh in with your opinion.

Got gang bang?

2009-05-19T11:07:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile since our college German studies, but still fairly easy to get the gist of what she's saying...

Ja?

(Snagged via Leather Yenta and apparently from the television show Switch Reloaded )

Hey, Chicago....!

2009-05-01T13:56:00.006-05:00

We're looking forward to a full CineKink: Chicago tour run later in the season, but you're in for a tantalizing appetizer this Saturday, when CineKink will be part of an open house taking place at the Leather Archives & Museum.

As part of the event, we'll be offering up a few of our favorite shorts for your viewing pleasure:

Coming Out Spanko
Keeping a video diary of her thoughts, a woman contemplates her entry into a world of kink and her place within it. (Directed by Tanya Bezreh, USA, 15 minutes)

Who's The Top?
In this fantastical S/M musical comedy, one writer finds her true self by determining who's the bottom. (Directed by Jennie Livingston, USA, 22 minutes)

Drop by to tour the museum galleries, take in our flicks, enjoy tasty refreshments and meet up with other Chicago-area kinksters.

Leather Archives & Museum
6418 N Greenview Ave, Chicago

Saturday, May 2 / 3-5 pm

Admission is FREE!

I am a sex worker.

2009-04-30T14:46:00.005-05:00

This PSA was created by the first-ever participants in Speak Up!, a new training program presented by Sex Work Awareness.

It's great to see sex activists taking up media tools and producing their own representations!

A fleeting f*@&!

2009-04-28T21:06:00.001-05:00

The Supreme Court has upheld a crackdown by the Federal Communications Commission on the use of indecent language--even the fleeting utterance of a single expletive--on broadcast television. At least for now...

An earlier federal appeals panel had overturned recent FCC policy, which had arisen largely in response to brief and spontaneous exclamations during live awards programs from the likes of Cher, Bono and Nicole Richie, chiefly involving the ever-popular and--as referred to by the court-- "f-" and "s-" words.

This latest decision supports the FCC's contention that profanity referring to sex or excrement is always indecent, no matter the context. But, as noted in an AP account of the court's ruling:

Justice John Paul Stevens said in dissent that the FCC missed the mark in failing to distinguish how the offending words are used. "As any golfer who has watched his partner shank a short approach knows," said Stevens, an avid golfer, "it would be absurd to accept the suggestion that the resultant four-letter word uttered on the golf course describes sex or excrement.

While today's ruling dealt solely with whether the FCC had followed proper administrative procedures in establishing the new policy, still to be addressed is whether or not the restrictions are constitutional in the first place, with promising glimmers that the entire question of limits on broadcast speech may be reconsidered whole hog. Though Justice Clarence Thomas sided with the majority on this ruling, the AP story continues, he noted that the court's previous decision and an even earlier case "were unconvincing when they were issued, and the passage of time has only increased doubt regarding their continued validity."

The last major ruling by the Supreme Court on broadcast indecency was in 1978, when it upheld the FCC's case involving George Carlin's classic "seven dirty words," as so infamously recounted below:

Instant replay?

2009-04-21T10:53:00.002-05:00

No...make that "play and instant replay."

Another blast from the past, the ad--depicting only "one of thousands of ways to get it on"--promised anyone buying an AKAI video system would be invited to a video taping session with a Penthouse Pet of the Month, such as December 1971's Lynn Parlington, as featured here. Anyone get an offer like that from Sony?

(Full version at Vintage Ads, snagged via joebehrsandiego)

Beyond the green door

2009-04-13T13:41:00.006-05:00

Marilyn Chambers starred in the very first porn we ever encountered, Behind the Green Door--which we snuck into with some high school girlfriends back in the day--and it's sad to be passing along the news that the iconic adult film star has died.

Here, in a 1977 interview on Al Goldstein's cable series, Midnight Blue, Marilyn discusses her break into movies, her projects of the time and a forthright enjoyment of kinky sex and S/M...