Rounding out multiple days of screenings and parties in its 16th annual appearance, organizers for CineKink NYC/2019 announced the recipients of awards in a range of categories during the film festival’s closing celebration on Sunday, April 7, 2019.
“It’s exciting to see sex-positive filmmaking come into its own, and display such a range of voices and talent,” said Lisa Vandever, CineKink co-founder and director. “Congratulations and thanks are in order, not just to the winners tonight, but to all of the filmmakers for contributing to this year’s outstanding line-up!”
The festival’s first-ever CineKink Artist Spotlight award, designed to recognize outstanding artistry over a body of work, was given to Jennifer Lyon Bell, whose erotic films Headshot, Matinee, Skin Like Sun, Silver Shoes and this season’s Adorn, have been featured at CineKink since 2006.
Audience Choice Awards for CineKink 2019 were presented to The Artist & The Pervert (Beatrice Behn and René Gebhardt) for Best Documentary Feature, with Two in The Bush: A Love Story (Laura Madalinski) winning for Best Narrative Feature, and Sickies Making Films (Joe Tropea) receiving an Honorable Mention.
In the shorts competition, juried festival awards went to Adorn (Jennifer Lyon Bell) for Best Dramatic Short, Me Time (Iyabo Boyd) for Best Comedy Short, The Baroness (Isabel Faintych) tied with What’s Your Policy On Orgasms? (Zoe D’Amaro) for Best Documentary Short, Remember Me (Luis Camacho) for Best Musical Short and Sweet Sweet Kink: A Collection of BDSM Stories (Maggie Bailey) for Best Animated Short.
Honorable Best Mention awards were presented to Lesson 1 and Lesson 8 (Alberto Ferreras), Birthday (Shine Louise Houston), I Am Lucie Bee (Ms. Naughty) and The Alley (Inka Winter).
Determining the shorts awards, CineKink jurors this year included Christopher Holland of Film Festival Secrets, Viviane Tang, co-founder of The Pleasure Salon, and Bill Woods, a film festival programmer and curator of the New Filmmakers series at Anthology Film Archives.
The annual CineKink “Bring It!” award, determined by audience vote during a presentation of excerpts showcasing current adult cinema, went to PSA (Urvashi) tied with Transcendent Bodies (Barbara Carrellas).
The CineKink Tribute, recognizing extraordinary depictions of kink and sex-positivity in mainstream film and television, was presented to the feature film Blockers (Director Kay Cannon; Universal Pictures). Honorable mentions for the CineKink Tribute went to the television series The Bisexual (Desiree Akhavan and Rowan Riley; Hulu), Wanderlust (Nick Payne; Netflix), and the film Cam (Daniel Goldhaber; Netflix). Works eligible for consideration this year were those released or aired in the United States from January 1 until December 31, 2018.
Making its 16th annual run April 3-7, 2019, CineKink NYC featured a specially selected program of films and videos that celebrate and explore a wide diversity of sexuality. Billing itself as “the kinky film festival,” the event is dedicated to the recognition and encouragement of sex-positive and kink-friendly depictions in film and television. With offerings drawn from both Hollywood and beyond, works presented at CineKink NYC ranged from documentary to drama, comedy to experimental, mildly spicy to quite explicit – and everything in between.
Sponsors of CineKink NYC/2019 included Bowery Bliss and njoy, along with Film Festival Secrets, TheFoodPornHub and Lustery, as well as Purple Passion, Riverdale Avenue Books and The Eulenspiegel Society. Community partners included Folsom Street East, Lesbian Sex Mafia and Pleasure Salon.
Selections from CineKink NYC will be featured in a traveling version of the festival, slated to appear in various cities throughout the coming year.
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 2019 award winners are:
CineKink Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature:
The Artist & The Pervert
An intimate look at Georg Friedrich Haas, a famous Austrian composer and child of Nazi parents, and his wife, Mollena Williams-Haas, a renowned American kink educator and descendant of African slaves. Together they live in a public, kinky relationship. She is his “slave” and muse, he is her “master” – a combination that pushes many people’s buttons and touches on matters of race, sexuality, politics and power relations. (Directed by Beatrice Behn and René Gebhardt, 2018, Germany, 96 minutes.)
CineKink Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature:
Two in the Bush: A Love Story
On the same day she loses her job, Emily arrives home early from work to find her girlfriend in the throes of passion with someone else. In an instant, her entire life is turned upside down. Moving in with her best friend, Emily lands a new gig working for a dominatrix, promptly falling for both her new boss…and her boss’s boyfriend. A wise and witty look at the world of bisexuality, polyamory and dungeons, Two in the Bush asks us to consider what risks are worth taking for love. (Directed by Laura Madalinski, 2018, USA, 97 minutes. Stars Sarah Mitchell, Travis Delgado, Caitlin Aase and Melissa DuPrey.)
CineKink Choice Award / Honorable Mention:
Sickies Making Films
A love letter to the movies, Sickies Making Films looks at society’s urge to censor films and asks why? Finding reasons both absurd and surprisingly understandable, the documentary uses the Maryland Board of Censors (1916-1981) as a lens, incorporating archival materials, classic film segments, and interviews with filmmakers and exhibitors, who were subjected to censorship, to provide a context for the way films are vetted and rated today. (Directed by Joe Tropea, 2018, USA, 83 minutes. Features John Waters, Pat Moran, Alan Shecter, Aaron Seidler, Robert Headley, Laura Wittern-Keller, David Taft Terry, Richard Macksey and Ross Freedman.
CINEKINK BEST – JURY AWARD FOR BEST SHORTS
CineKink Best awards, which go to short works in competition during the festival, were determined by jury ranking, with additional deliberation by the festival director. The 2019 award winners are:
CineKink Best Dramatic Short:
Adorn
In an experimental erotic game, Sadie and Parker face each other naked; by the end they are mostly clothed and utterly exhausted. What’s in between is unique and completely improvised by the performers themselves. (Directed by Jennifer Lyon-Bell, 2018, The Netherlands, 28 minutes. Stars Sadie Lune and Parker Marx.)
CineKink Best Comedy Short:
Me Time
After a long work week, Deborah is exhausted and needs to relax. But she is conflicted as to how. (Directed by Iyabo Boyd, 2019, USA, 9 minutes. Stars Adenike Thomas.)
CineKink Best Documentary Short – tie:
The Baroness
The Baroness, New York’s premier designer of elegant and provocative latex, navigates the ever-growing world of latex fashion. (Directed by Isabel Faintych, 2018, USA, 6 minutes.)
-tie-
What’s Your Policy on Orgasms?
In this portrait of feminist porn director Jennifer Lyon Bell, she shares her views on filmmaking and allows the audience into the backstage of her latest film, Adorn. (Directed by Zoe D’Amaro, 2018, The Netherlands, 8 minutes. Features Jennifer Lyon Bell, Sadie Lune and Parker Marx.)
CineKink Best Animated Short:
Sweet Sweet Kink: A Collection of BDSM Stories
Takes a sweet, sweet peek into the kinky world of bondage, dominance, and sadomasochism through four different stories of intimate connection, consensual exploration, and deep self-reflection. (Directed by Maggie M. Bailey, 2018, USA, 17 minutes. Stars Anonymous, Miss Wednesday, Spankbillhard, Kira Wolf Arnault, Jack and Tiffany.)
CineKink Best Musical Short
Remember Me
In 2017, Dr. Ralph Bruneau became International Mr. Leather (IML). As part of his step aside at IML 2018, he presented the incoming contestant class and the audience with a gift: this video short, drawing upon a musical theatre background that was unknown to many. (Directed by Luis Camacho, 2018, USA, 5 minutes. Stars Ralph Bruneau.)
CineKink Honorable Best Mentions:
The Alley
An unexpected encounter at the laundromat… and a woman who knows what she wants. (Directed by Inka Winter, 2018, USA, 11 minutes. Stars Mr. and Mrs. Wylde.)
Birthday
A night out, an old friend, and a special treat. (Directed by Shine Louise Houston, 2018, USA, 7 minutes. Stars Nenna Feelmore and Barbary Rose.)
I Am Lucie Bee
Sex worker, artist and geek Lucie Bee invites us into her bedroom, and shows off her cosplay outfits, her comics, her sex toys and her real self. (Directed by Ms. Naughty, 2018, Australia, 13 minutes.)
Lesson #1
Boy meets Girl…and after a passionate encounter they make the mistake of comparing profiles in their dating app. (Directed by Alberto Ferreras, 2018, USA, 7 minutes. Stars Shirley Rumierk and Francisco Solorzano.)
Lesson #8
A gay app hookup takes an unexpected turn, proving that the best-laid plans won’t get you laid as you planned. (Directed by Alberto Ferreras, 2018, USA, 5 minutes. Stars David Fraioli and John David West.)
“BRING IT!” – ADULT INDUSTRY SHOWCASE AWARD / 2019
The CineKink “Bring It!” award is determined by audience ballot during a presentation of short works and excerpts showcasing adult cinema.
PSA
An erotic film about 1950’s good ol’ educational TV. We learn a great deal about the era-appropriate, martini-drinking married couple, including what they have tried in bed… and would still like to try. (Directed by Urvashi, 2018, USA, 16 minutes. Stars Rogue and Remy.)
-tie-
Transcendent Bodies
A young trans woman with a body that is still transforming explores her desires, arousal and orgasm during an Erotic Awakening massage. (Directed by and featuring Barbara Carrellas with Rowan, 2017, USA, 24 minutes.)
CINEKINK TRIBUTE – RECOGNITION OF SEX-POSITIVITY IN MAINSTREAM FILM/TV
Annual festival award for Extraordinary Depiction of Kink and Sex-Positivity in Mainstream Film/Television. Works eligible for consideration this year were those released or aired in the United States from January 1 through December 31, 2018.
CineKink Tribute/2019:
Blockers (Director Kay Cannon; Universal Pictures).
Honorable Mentions:
The Bisexual (Desiree Akhavan and Rowan Riley; Hulu)
Wanderlust (Nick Payne; Netflix)
Cam (Daniel Goldhaber; Netflix)