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What happens in Vegas...

Yeah, you've heard that one. What happens in Vegas gets plastered all over the Internet! And so it was with all (well, many) of the exploits that went down at CineKink: Las Vegas.

First off, we were graced with a truly gratififying amount of insightful and generally positive press attention for the kick-off to our national tour:

Examiner/Sex & Relationships: Sexy Films: CineKink Film Festival comes to Sin City
Examiner/Modern Love: Interview with founder of CineKink: Exploring the world of sexual diversity
Las Vegas Weekly: Get cinekinky
Las Vegas Sun: CineKink film festival brings smart sexuality to Las Vegas
Las Vegas Review-Journal: What's Hot This Weekend
Las Vegas Weekly: Getting tied up with CineKink
Las Vegas Weekly: Kink n' Grind

While the tour circuit can get a little lonely, this trip we had some delightful company along, Diva and Tess from Tied Up Events, to help get the trouble started: Day One - Pillow Fight with Nina Hartley and Day Two - Let the Films Begin!



And, of the CineKink filmmakers, panelists and performers who graced us with their presence in Sin City, including Alicyn Packard (The Pinky Song), Wes Hurley and Marc Kennison/aka Waxie (Waxie Moon), sexologist Carol Queen and UNLV Professor Lynn Comella, Julie King and Jessica Keck (Libidoland) kept themselves busy documenting what seemed like every waking moment of their time there. Here are their engaging accounts of Day #1, Day #2, Day #3 and, phew! Day #4.

And they were also busy with the video camera!



(More pics here!)

Sniff, we'll miss you, ladies ... and all who came out for the festivities! Many thanks to you all, and also to Onyx Theatre, Erotic Heritage Museum and to our CineKink 2010 tour sponsors B-Side Entertainment, Make Love Not Porn, National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, njoy and Tied Up Events for their help in making our visit possible!

Cinekink Las Vegas Day Two – Let the Films Begin

Waxie Moon

After a day spent at the rooftop topless pool, yes, life out here in the desert is that rough, we excitedly piled into a cab and made out way to the Onyx Theatre, located in the Commercial Center, for the first day of screenings.

Lisa Vandever & Dr. Carol Queen arrive at Cinekink Las Vegas

Yesterday’s schedule was Waxie Moon, Bring It, and My Sexuality: A Sensory Experience. The best thing about an alternative film festival, besides the rather obvious – seeing amazingly fresh films that explore viewpoints outside the “norm” – is the ability to interact with the artists directly involved in making these works. Seeing a film and then hearing the back story -what ran through the actor’s mind, why the director filmed a scene in that manner, what led producers with no formal training to start making films – really helps you to look at what you’ve just seen greater understanding, bringing a new depth to the experience. If you have an insatiable intellectual curiosity, alternative film festivals are for you. So come on, Las Vegas, get your butts and brains down to the Onyx today because we have another day of amazing programming for you.

That said, I now have to gush about Waxie Moon. We first met Marc Kenison, in glorious Waxie regalia, glitter, lashes and a vintage suite everyone coveted, at the Erotic Heritage Museum for the wine & chocolate gala. But hearing him and director Wes Hurley talk about the film was truly one of the highlights of the day. Instead of talking about it, I’ll leave you with a Youtube clip of one of the many outstanding performances in the film.

After the film, Marc told us how he was uncomfortable that day, the stones made walking in high heels a challenge, the water was frigid and a random dog was tagging along making him nuts. And yet, once he saw the completed piece, how much he felt indebted to Wes for understanding the character even more than he himself did. Watch. And then search out Waxie’s other videos on Youtube and should you have the opportunity to see Waxie Moon, seize it.

Cinekink panel discussion at Onyx Theatre

A panel discussion, with Lisa Vandever, Jessica King, Julie Keck and Dr. Carol Queen, moderated by UNLV’s Dr. Lynn Comella, followed My Sexuality: A Sensory Experience, where we learned that this wonderful film which explored the sexual side of five very diverse women was a student project. Astonishing. Carol, by pointing out that the self esteem building experiences these women went through all focused on very traditional images of femininity, got me wondering what it would look like and what the women’s reactions would have been if in addition to learning pole dance and getting fitted for corsets, they’d been asked to butch it up.

And so begins another day. Albeit one that started two hours earlier then I would have liked. My Mac apparently prefers East Coast time and I jolted awake thinking it was 9:30 AM not the 6:30 it actually was. When she came back carrying our Starbucks venti bolds to discover my little timing error, Diva was not at all amused.

Today’s programming begins at 1PM and includes Yes, Mistress, a film shorts program that asks (and sometimes answers!) the question: “How may I be of service?” Swingers, S&M Judge and Best of Cinekink, a special screening of shorts deemed the year’s best. The jury-selected awards were determined during the latest run of CineKink NYC.

(Cross-posted on Tied Up Events)

Cinekink Las Vegas Day One – Pillow Fight with Nina Hartley

I said it on Twitter but I’ll say it again, life doesn’t suck when your first day in Las Vegas includes a photo shoot at the elucidating and supremely sexy Erotic Heritage Museum that degenerates into an all girl pillow fight with me, Diva, Dr. Laura Henkel and the one and only, Nina Hartley on an island sized bed covered in scarlet velvet.

Right now, we have Cinekink’s Lisa in bed with us as we finalizing details for tonight’s Wine & Chocolate Benefit Gala. If you’re in Las Vegas it’s the place to be tonight. Aside from the wine, chocolate, Original Sin Cider, performances by Alicyn Packard, Carol Queen, rope demos by Reverse Tensionz and films shown in Erotic Heritage’s theatre, we’re delighted to also bring you very sensual gyrations of gothic belly dance troupe Fuego Fusion. And other surprises are always possible.

In the meantime, here’s a little photographic preview of some of the things you’ll see at the museum tonight.

Too bad Nina had to fly out last night, we'd love if she'd been able to stay longer

Cross-posted from Tied-Up Events

CineKink Kicks off in Vegas!

CineKink kicks off our annual national tour in Las Vegas, May 13-15, 2010!

Starting with a gala benefit and including several days of screenings, Cinekink: Las Vegas will offer a specially-curated program of films and videos that celebrate and explore a wide and exciting world of sexual diversity, with works ranging from documentary to drama, comedy to experimental, mildly spicy to quite explicit - and everything in between.

THURSDAY
The festivities begin Thursday, May 13th, at 8:30 PM, with a wine and chocolate gala benefit at the Erotic Heritage Museum, to include an erotic rope bondage demonstration by Reverse Tensionz, a performance by the renowned Dr. Carol Queen from her work "Peep Show," and a live rendition of the CineKink award-winning music video, " The Pinky Song," by singer/comedian Alicyn Packard. The event will also feature film shorts and clips highlighting the festival, and by noted photographer JM Darling, along with other fun surprises and a kinky raffle!

All proceeds from the gala will benefit the Erotic Heritage Museum and CineKink ... with special thanks to MakeLoveNotPorn and Tied Up Events for making this spectacular evening possible!

FRIDAY
The festival then moves to the Onyx Theatre for Friday, May 14 through Saturday, May 15, with several different film and video programs scheduled for each day.

Among the headliners, first up on Friday, May 14 at 3:00 PM, features "boylesque" sensation Waxie Moon taking the world of neo-burlesque by storm in a hilarious and thought-provoking portrait of one artist's unlikely journey.

At 5:00 PM, a special industry showcase, BRING IT!, features a dazzling array of talent from today's adult cinema, each representing a wide range of genres and visual styles, all stepping up with a hot sampling of their recent creative endeavors.

And at 6:45 PM, the documentary MY SEXUALITY: A SENSORY EXPERIENCE, shines light on five ordinary women from different backgrounds, sexual preferences and past experiences as they experiment with five deliciously different activities intended to boost both sense of self and sexuality. This screening is immediately followed by a panel discussion featuring the film's director, Felicia Giouzelis, UNLV's Dr. Lynn Comella, Sexologist Dr. Carol Queen and others.

SATURDAY
Beginning at 1:00 PM it's YES, MISTRESS, the film shorts program that asks (and sometimes answers!) the question: "How may I be of service?"

At 3:00 PM, SWINGERS has first-timers Diana and Julian inviting a couple they've met online to join them for an adventurous weekend in the country.

At 5:00 PM, S&M JUDGE ia a compelling drama in which a respected judge finds his job, reputation and family life in jeopardy after he and his wife begin to explore sadomasochism.

And, closing out the festival's regular screening schedule at 7:00 PM, BEST OF CINEKINK features select, award-winning shorts deemed the year's best during the festival's latest run at CINEKINK NYC.

Following the final screening, the action heads back to the Erotic Heritage Museum for a closing party that will go until the clock strikes midnight. With a DJ, cash bar and other entertainment still to be announced, end CineKink: Las Vegas surrounded by your fellow revelers while benefiting the EHM!

TICKETS AND PASSES:
Ticket prices for each regular screening are $10; single day passes for either day are $20 ($15 for seniors and students); an all screenings pass is available for $30 ($20 for seniors and students). Admission to the Wine & Chocolate Gala is $25. Admission to the Closing Party is $10; free to Gala attendees.

And our best value, for a weekend of non-stop kinky entertainment, is an all-access pass, which includes all screenings, the wine & chocolate gala AND the closing party for $50 ($40 for seniors and students, $35 for CineKinksters).

For tickets to the Wine & Chocolate Kick-Off Gala at EHM:
http://cinekinklasvegaskickoff.eventbrite.com

For all passes and screening tickets:
http://www.onyxtheatre.com/nowplaying/cinekink-the-kinky-film-festival.htm

SPONSORS:
Sponsors of CineKink: Las Vegas include the Erotic Heritage Museum and Onyx Theatre; national tour sponsors are B-Side Entertainment, MakeLoveNotPorn, National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, njoy and Tied Up Events.

MORE INFO:
http://www.cinekink.com/tour/vegas

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On the Red Carpet... Modern Love is Automatic

During the CineKink NYC/2010 festivities, Ivy Liegh chats with cast and crew of Modern Love is Automatic, including director Zach Clark, actresses Maggie Ross and Melodie Sisk, and cinematographer Daryl Pittman.





The stylized film, which won a CineKink Select Award for Creative Vision, asks some burning questions: Will Lorraine’s secret life as a dominatrix be revealed? And will Adrian sell enough mattresses to be featured in the big coupon spread? In pursuing their hidden desires and misguided dreams, both girls find their paths crossing in ways they never expected.

On the Red Carpet... Balloons

During the CineKink NYC/2010 festivities, director Charles Nukolls takes a few moments to discuss his film, Balloons, with Ivy Liegh.

Winner of the jury-selected Best Short Documentary award at CineKink, the piece looks at a unique use for what you might not think of as a sex toy.

On the Red Carpet... Coverage

Director Jef Taylor discusses his short film, Coverage, during the CineKink NYC/2010 festivities.



In the film, which won a CineKink Honorable Best Mention Award, the events and subsequent media coverage of September 11th, 2001 create a sexual obsession that threatens to destroy a relationship,

On the Red Carpet... Anti-Samaritan Hotline

During the CineKink NYC/2010 festivities, Ivy Liegh chats with director A. Tad Chamberlain about his film, Anti-Samaritan Hotline.



The film, which won a CineKink Select Award for Creative Vision, is a "comedy about death, despair, suicide and sado-masochism."

On the Red Carpet... My Sexuality: A Sensory Experience

During the CineKink NYC/2010 festivities, Ivy Liegh chats a bit with director Felicia Giouzelis about her film, My Sexuality: A Sensory Experience.

Winner of the 2010 CineKink Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary, the work shines light on five ordinary women from different backgrounds, sexual preferences and past experiences as they experiment with five deliciously different activities intended to boost both sense of self and sexuality.

Amazon pulls Graphic Sexual Horror due to "explicit content"

The directors of Graphic Sexual Horror which tied for the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary at CineKink 2009, recently noted on their website that Amazon had removed the film from its online storefront, where it had made the site's "Top 10" list of both documentary and independent films downloaded for the days it was available.

If you'd like to help, they ask that supporters write to Amazon and let them know of your interest in purchasing the film. And, with a potential DVD release planned for the summer, communicate your interest by adding the title to your Netflix queue.

Pictures!

We brought back the amazing Stacie Joy to record our CineKinky hijinks again this year and put us all in the best light possible!





(All photos by Stacie Joy; courtesy of CineKink)

And the winner is...

Rounding out multiple days of screenings and parties in our seventh(!!) annual appearance, here are the CineKink awards for 2010...

"CineKink Choice" - AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS
CineKink Choice awards, which go to feature-length works in competition during the festival, were determined by audience balloting at the close of each eligible work's screening. The 2010 award winners are:

CineKink Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature:
"S&M Judge" (Erik Lamens, 2009, Belgium, 84 minutes)

CineKink Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature:
"My Sexuality: A Sensory Experience" (Felicia Giouzelis, 2009, USA, 64 minutes)

CineKink Choice Award - Honorable Mention:
"Waxie Moon" (Wes Hurley, 2009, USA, 70 minutes)

"CINEKINK BEST" - JURY AWARD FOR BEST SHORTS
CineKink Best awards, which go to short works in competition during the festival, were determined by jury deliberation and ranking. The 2010 award winners are:

CineKink Best Narrative Short:
"Walking the Dog" (Luigi Campi, 2009, USA, 11 minutes)

CineKink Best Documentary Short:
"Balloons" (Charles Nuckolls, 2009, USA, 15 minutes)

CineKink Best Experimental Short:
"Handcuffs" (Erika Lust, 2009, Spain, 7 minutes)

CineKink Best Music Video:
"The Pinky Song" (Rick Ferguson, 2009, USA, 3 minutes)

CineKink Honorable Best Mentions:
"Coverage" (Jef Taylor, 2008, USA, 30 minutes)
"Hungry for Love" (Ruckus Skye, 2009, USA, 17 minutes)
"The Sheep and the Ranch Hand" (Loretta Hintz, 2009, USA, 12 minutes)

This year's jurors were Viviane, ring-leader of the sex blog "Viviane's Sex Carnival," Mike White, editor and publisher of the independent film-focused "Cashiers du Cinemart," Lolita Wolf, a BDSM educator and activist who also blogs as "Leather Yenta," and Bill Woods, a film festival programmer and curator of the New Filmmakers series at Anthology Film Archives.

"CINEKINK SELECT" - Special Festival Awards
The CineKink Select awards, occasionally presented to recognize artistic innovation, are determined by festival staff. The 2010 award winners are:

Special Festival Award for Creative Vision:
"Modern Love is Automatic" (Zach Clark, 2009, USA, 93 minutes)
"Anti-Samaritan Hotline" (A. Tad Chamberlain, 2009, USA, 23 minutes)

Special Festival Award for Outstanding Viral Achievement:
"Libidoland" (Julie Keck and Jessica King, 2009, USA, 15 minutes)

"BRING IT!" - Adult Industry Showcase Award
The first-ever CineKink "Bring It!" award was determined by audience ballot during a presentation of excerpts showcasing recent adult cinema.

"Tristan Taormino's Rough Sex" (Tristan Taormino, 2009)

"CINEKINK TRIBUTE" - Festival Award for Extraordinary Mainstream Depiction of Kink and Sex-Positivity

"American Swing"
(released by Magnolia Pictures, 2009;
directed/produced by Mathew Kaufman and Jon Hart)

Honorable Mentions:
"Dollhouse" (Fox)
"Gossip Girl" (CW)
"How I Met Your Mother" (CBS)

Many thanks and congratulations to this year's CineKink award winners - and to all of our ultra-talented filmmakers!

For more details on all of the award winning works...

Or to peruse some of the offerings!

Looking for a last-minute Valentine?

Treat yourself to a special Valentine on us!

The CineKink NYC All-Access Pass, covering admission to all 12 regular film programs, the kick-off gala, the closing awards celebration AND the "afterglow" party, is already a fantastic deal at $85 - but it's an even better one at only $70 - with our Valentine special discount.

Use the code "valentinepass" for $15 off the regular price of our CineKink NYC All-Access pass.

Or...

Use the code "valentinetix" to purchase two-for-one tickets to any single screening or to the kick-off gala.

Print out the ticket confirmation, draw a big red heart on it, present to your loved one(s) and, voila, you are all set for the best Valentine celebration ever!

Prepare to be titillated!

Billing itself as the "kinky film festival," CineKink NYC returns for its seventh annual appearance February 16-21, 2010, bringing with it a specially-curated program of films and videos that celebrate and explore a wide diversity of sexuality.

The kink-filled festivities begin Tuesday, February 16th, at 8 PM, with a fundraising Kick-Off Gala to be held at Kush Lounge (191 Chrystie Street, NYC), a pansexual celebration that, in addition to music and sexy performances, features a pair of cinematic spectacles--THE 400 BLOW JOBS and THE SHEEP AND THE RANCH HAND.

The festival then moves to Anthology Film Archives (32 Second Avenue, NYC), Wednesday, February 17 through Saturday, February 20, with several different film and video programs scheduled for each day. An awards celebration and an "AfterGlow" party complete the festivities on Sunday, February 21.

WEDNESDAY

Among the headliners, first up on Wednesday, February 17 at 6:45 PM, is the festival's CineKink Season Opener screening of S&M JUDGE, a compelling drama in which a respected judge finds his job, reputation and family life in jeopardy after he and his wife begin to explore sadomasochism. Then, at 9:10 PM, the documentary BODY MODIFICATION FREAKS, takes a first-hand look at several Japanese underground scenes--tattoo, piercing and body modification--with photographer and journalist Ryoichi "Keroppy" Maeda, himself a long-time member of the body modification community.

THURSDAY

On Thursday, February 18 at 6:45 PM it's KINDA KINKY?, a collection of kinky shorts that will whet your appetite for a slap of the hand and a taste of the deviant. Then, at 9:10 PM, "boylesque" sensation WAXIE MOON takes the world of neo-burlesque by storm in a hilarious and thought-provoking portrait of one artist's unlikely journey.

FRIDAY

On Friday, February 19 at 6:45 PM, MODERN LOVE IS AUTOMATIC is the darkly comic tale of an apathetic nurse who moonlights as a dominatrix, her aspiring model roommate, and the sad, strange world in which they live. At 9:10 PM, SWINGERS has first-timers Diana and Julian inviting a couple they;ve met online to join them for an adventurous weekend in the country. And at 11:00 PM, DES JOURS PLUS BELLES QUE LA NUIT, a collaboration partly from CineKink award-winner Jennifer Lyon Bell, is an homage to real, explicit love shot in real-time, opening the door to a world where arousal creeps up slowly and sweetly until it ignites.

SATURDAY

Kicking off Saturday, February 20 at 1:00 PM, MY SEXUALITY: A SENSORY EXPERIENCE shines light on five ordinary women from different backgrounds, sexual preferences and past experiences as they experiment with five deliciously different activities intended to boost both sense of self and sexuality. At 3:00 PM a special industry showcase, BRING IT!, features a dazzling array of talent from today's adult cinema, each representing a wide range of genres and visual styles, all stepping up with a hot sampling of their recent creative endeavors. At 5:50 PM, FIXATION is a diverse collection of sexy shorts, with each focused obsessively on that one, particular... something. At 8:00 PM it's YES, MISTRESS, the film shorts program that asks (and sometimes answers!) the question: "How may I be of service?" And, closing out the festival's regular screening schedule at 10:10 PM, STORIES OF SEX(ES) is a sexy French romp--with sex included!--where two cheerful circles of friends, men and women divided, spend a night of intimate chatting about their erotic adventures, conquests, disappointments and fantasies.

SUNDAY

CineKink NYC concludes the evening of Sunday, February 21 at 6 PM, with an Awards Celebration, including encore screenings of jury-selected best shorts from the week and presentation of the annual festival awards, to be followed at 8:3O PM by the CineKink AfterGlow Party, one last chance to mingle with like-minded festival-goers and enjoy a few additional screenings, this time in a relaxed play party setting. The locations for both events will be announced at a later date.

TICKETS AND PASSES

Advance tickets and passes may be purchased via the CineKink website or by calling 877-849-5327 (TIX-LEAP)

Ticket prices for each regular screening are $10/$8 advance; $6 for seniors and students, door only. Admission to the Kick-Off Gala & Opening Night Screening is a suggested donation of $15/$10 advance; admission to the Afterglow Party is $30, advance purchase only. The Awards Celebration on Sunday evening is free of charge.

Discounted all-access festival passes, covering admission to all 12 regular screening programs, plus all parties, are available in advance for $85; $75 for members of any sexuality organization; $60 students/seniors; $50 for CineKinksters.

The festival passes represent a nearly 50 percent discount over individual ticket purchase and availability will be limited.

SPONSORS

Sponsors of CineKink NYC/2010 include B-Side Entertainment, National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, Njoy and Soho Journal, along with Tied Up Events, For The Girls, Hot Movies For Her, OMG!, Pink/White Productions, Scarleteen, Shelly's Toy Box and Wet International.

'S&M Judge' to open CineKink NYC

The CineKink “Season Opener” selection for our seventh annual film festival, CineKink NYC, running February 16-21, 2010, will be the US premiere of the award-winning drama, S&M Judge.

Directed by Flemish filmmaker Erik Lamens and based on a celebrated Belgian incident, the film tells of a respected judge who, desperate to save his marriage, reluctantly gives in to fulfilling the masochistic desires his wife has been hiding from him for decades. Initially shocked at her revelation, his love helps him overcome his inhibitions, and they begin to enjoy a secret life in the city's underground S/M scene.

But when the two are caught up in a police sting, his arrest and trial cause a national scandal. While their activities have been purely consensual, the court views his participation as criminal, putting his job, reputation and family life in jeopardy.

“S&M Judge is a beautiful and moving account of the conflict many face in balancing their sexual desires with societal views of what is ‘normal’—and with outmoded legal restrictions that are still on the books in many communities,” said Lisa Vandever, co-founder and director of CineKink. “We’re very proud to give the film its US premiere and present it to our audiences.”

S&M Judge will screen on Wednesday, February 17, 6:45 pm at Anthology Film Archives, where the majority of the festival screenings are also unfolding.

CineKink NYC kicks off the previous evening, Tuesday, February 16, with a gala fundraising party, and runs through Sunday, February 21, concluding with an awards ceremony and an AfterGlow closing party.

More info on all that--and advance tickets--coming soon!

Update: Tickets are available here! A donation of 25% from all advance ticket sales will go to support NCSF.