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... 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."

'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.

Dibs!

With Conan getting the shaft from NBC, he's recently been considering a turn from television to hard-core porn--"a classier business with better people."

Here he announces some of the titles we can expect from his new venture:



Alright, you're hearing it here... we're calling dibs on NBC Lawyer Gang Bang: The Backend Deal for CineKink 2011!

Ah, yes... Happy New Year!

With so many distractions, completely lost track of the time... even though it's right there on the wrist. And there. And there!

Oh, you didn't notice the watches?



Here's to a 2010 filled with pleasurable pursuits and diversions... Happy New Year!

That whole thing about Mommy kissing Santa Claus?

(Mom is Santa snagged via Erika Lust)

Clearly an argument for a ToiBocks or a locking bag from For Your Nymphomation. Meantime, here's to happy visions of sugar plums--or whatever else you'd like dancing in your head!

Sissies Gone Wilder!!

We could try to pass it off as brilliant planning, but it was actually fortuitous happenstance that Sissy Stephanie and Sissy Carol, co-stars of the wildly popular CineKink trailer, Sissies Gone Wild!, scheduled an excursion to coincide with CineKink: San Francisco.

Naturally, it's a happenstance we'll happily exploit and we've invited both of the lovelies to join us for an encore presentation of Sissies Gone Wild! and a personal appearance at tonight's screening of Lipsticks & Crinoline, our pan-sexy program of colorful gender frolics. (Come for the gender frolics at 7pm, then stay for a cinematic celebration of female pleasure, Wanton Female Desire, at 9 pm.)



Are you ready to get wild?!

Where in the world...

...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!

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.

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?"

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

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?!

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!

Action Alert: Vote for the Yodeling Dominatrix!

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.

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!

Oh, Farrah

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!)

Bring it, America!

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

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.

Got gang bang?

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 )

I am a sex worker.

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!

Hippity, hoppity!

Enjoy the day, however--and with whomever--you best see fit!