CineKinkster

Prepare to be titillated!

2010-02-08T22:20:00.016-05:00

CineKink NYC returns for its seventh annual appearance on Tuesday, February 16th, bringing with it a specially-curated program of films and videos that celebrate and explore a wide diversity of sexuality. In addition to screenings, plans for the festival also include a short film competition, presentations, audience choice awards, a fund-raising gala kick-off and a concluding afterglow party.

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, March 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 bitterly 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 alternative 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.

'S&M Judge' to open CineKink NYC

2010-01-27T14:41:00.024-05:00

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!

Are You a CineKinkster?

2010-01-20T21:55:00.003-05:00

Dear Readers,

Co-founder and director of CineKink Lisa Vandever is looking for a group of kinky film-lovers to help spread the word about the kinky film festival. I'd love it if you'd read below about her work and check out the website for more information.

I'd love it even more if you'd repost, tweet, facebook and otherwise share this post about CineKink's events and need for support.

And I would love love love it most of all if you'd consider becoming a Proud CineKinkster yourself. Read on for all the details. --aag

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The seventh annual edition of CineKink NYC is scheduled for February 16-21, 2010.

Once again the kinky film festival will feature a specially-curated program of films and videos that celebrate the wide diversity of sexuality. Along with a wealth of screenings, plans for the event also include a short film competition, audience choice awards, presentations, gala kick-off party and sexy AfterGlow celebration, all to be followed with a national screening tour.

While we’re just finalizing the schedule, among this year's stories are a couple’s first brush with the world of swinging, a judge forced to choose between his legal career and his wife’s hunger for S/M and a French sex farce with actual sex in it! Viewers will also get a look at the boylesque sensation Waxie Moon and take part in “Bring It!,” our annual show-down between some of adult entertainment’s hottest directors.

Attendance at the CineKink NYC event, which runs over six days, averages 3,200-3,400 overall. Turn-out for tour appearances, which vary market-to-market in terms of venue size and number of screenings, ranges between 150-1,500 per city.

Additionally, mail updates currently go out direct to nearly 2,000 CineKink subscribers. These updates are also posted to various lists and groups both local and national, targeted primarily to people interested in alternative sexuality, and forwarded regularly to others within the communities. Estimate total reach for this is around 20,000 people per update.

Mention of our sponsors also goes out to our list of approximately 1,200 press contacts which cover mainstream, adult and alternative media outlets. All sponsors are included in press releases we send in advance of CineKink NYC; press releases for tour appearances include mention of all sponsors at the Gold level or higher.

We would love to have you as one of our official sponsors! Included below is information on our sponsorship packages, each designed to give businesses and individuals affordable opportunities for exposure. In addition to the levels detailed below, we will happily tailor a package or benefit to meet your individual marketing needs. Alternative opportunities might include the sponsorship of a specific event or screening, or even a CineKink festival award presented in your company’s name. Information on additional options and advertising opportunities can be found on the CineKink sponsorship page or send me an email with any other questions!

Want to get in on the action and earn some nice publicity for your own kinky endeavors? A donation of just $50 gets your name and URL listed in the CineKinksters area of the website. This is a new level of sponsorship created for individuals and small businesses; it's a great way to help out and get your name seen by a huge sex-positive crowd.

Want more publicity for your blog? Own a business that could use more kinky customers? Love supporting sex-positive expression? Donate today.

Read on for more ways to support this event!

CineKink NYC 2010 Sponsorship Levels

Presenting Sponsor ($10,000, limited to one)

Exclusive year-round recognition, including the NYC festival and all tour appearances, as a Presenting Sponsor of CineKink.

First-tier position 120 x 300 banner ad/logo and link in Sponsor area of website for CineKink NYC 2010 and all subsequent events of the year.

Company logo with a "Presented by" credit on all CineKink NYC advertisements and printed festival promotional materials, in first-tier position.

Dedicated display space in upstairs theater lobby throughout CineKink NYC screenings.

Key signage and banner placement at primary venues throughout CineKink NYC.

Exclusive sponsorship of a CineKink NYC event or screening.

Centerfold two-page-spread ad in the CineKink NYC program.

Logo and company name on single frame of CineKink NYC trailer, which opens each screening.

Company logo on all CineKink NYC badges.

Company’s promotional or giveaway material on Sponsorship table and in Kick-Off Party gift bag.

Premiere Sponsor ($5,000+)

Year-round recognition, including the NYC festival and all tour appearances, as a Premiere Sponsor of CineKink.

Second-tier position 120 x 240 banner ad/logo and link in Sponsor area of website for CineKink NYC 2010 and all subsequent events of the year.

Company logo included as a Premiere Sponsor on all CineKink NYC festival promotional materials, with second-tier sizing and placement.

Display space in upstairs theater lobby during select screening at CineKink NYC.

Key signage and/or banner placement at selected festival event or screening.

Exclusive sponsorship of a festival event or screening.

Two-page-spread ad in the festival program.

Logo and company name on CineKink NYC trailer, which opens each screening.

Company’s promotional or giveaway material on Sponsorship table and in Kick-Off Party gift bag.

Platinum Sponsor ($2,500+)

Year-round recognition, including the NYC festival and all tour appearances, as a Gold Sponsor of CineKink.

120 x 90 banner ad/logo and link in Sponsor area of website for CineKink NYC 2010 and all subsequent events of the year.

Company logo included as a Gold Sponsor on all CineKink NYC festival promotional materials with fourth-tier sizing and placement.

Key signage and/or banner placement at selected festival event or screening.

Full-page ad in the festival program.

Logo and company name on CineKink NYC trailer, which opens each screening.

Company’s promotional or giveaway material on Sponsorship table and in Kick-Off Party gift bag.

Gold Sponsor ($1,000)

Year-round recognition, including the NYC festival and all tour appearances, as a Gold Sponsor of CineKink

120 x 90 banner ad/logo and link in the Sponsors area of website for CineKink NYC/2010 and all subsequent events of the year.

Company logo included as a Gold Sponsor on all CineKink NYC promotional materials with fourth-tier sizing and placement.

Key signage and/or banner placement at selected festival event or screening.

Full-page ad in the festival program.

Logo and company name on CineKink NYC trailer, which opens each screening.

Company’s promotional material on Sponsorship table and in Kick-Off Party gift bag.

Silver Sponsor ($450+)

Festival season recognition as a Silver Sponsor of CineKink NYC 2010.

120 x 60 banner ad/logo and link in Sponsor area of website for CineKink NYC 2010.

Company logo included as a Silver Sponsor on select CineKink NYC promotional materials, space permitting, with fifth-tier sizing and placement.

Half-page ad in the festival program.

Logo and company name on CineKink NYC trailer, which opens each screening.

Company’s promotional or giveaway material on Sponsorship table in theater lobby.

Bronze Sponsor ($250+)

Company name and link in the Bronze Sponsors area of website for CineKink NYC 2010.

Company name on CineKink NYC trailer, which opens each screening.

Company name and website listed in the festival program.

Company’s promotional or giveaway material on Sponsorship table in theater lobby.

CineKinksters ($50+)

Name and link listed in the CineKinksters area of the website for CineKink NYC 2010.

Are you a Dark Odyssey virgin?

2010-01-19T12:59:00.006-05:00

We're excited to offer the possibility of a first-time Dark Odyssey adventure to a lucky pair of CineKink fans!

As a participating group, we've been given TWO extra tickets to the sexy organization's next event - Winter Fire - taking place February 26-28 in Washington, DC.

One of our favorite gatherings, you can expect:

* An amazing line up of nationally-known presenters, including sex educators, BDSM masters, top-notch Tantra teachers, relationship experts, and award-winning authors, activists, and community leaders
* Over 60 unique, dynamic workshops on identity, sex, relationships, swinging, polyamory, BDSM, Tantra, spirituality, and lots more
* Special events including a banquet dinner featuring the fabulous The Wet Spots, nightly parties, incredible vendors and, of course, a huge, fully equipped dungeon and other intimate play spaces.

All taking place in the comfort and luxury of a beautiful host hotel located in the heart of downtown Washington, DC - and we'd like to give you the chance to be in the thick of it!

To qualify to win, you must:

* Never have previously attended a Dark Odyssey event

* Be a current CineKink Updates subscriber (if you're not one, you can sign up right here! )

* Send an email to cinekink2010 at cinekink dot com, with "I was a DO virgin!" in the subject line.

* Include preferred email address and/or phone # and/or Twitter name for us to contact you via, should you be a winner.

All entries must be received by 11 pm (et) of Friday, January 29th.

UPDATE: deadline extended until 11 pm (et) of SATURDAY, January 30th!

Winner will be selected at random and receive TWO tickets to the event. Travel, hotel, meals and any other expenses are not included.

And if you're not a virgin? You can still get a slightly discounted rate by selecting CineKink as your participating group when registering!

Dibs!

2010-01-16T11:13:00.005-05:00

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!

Returning to the fold?

2010-01-10T18:00:00.012-05:00

After eagerly anticipating each episode of Big Love's premiere season, we found our interest wandering somewhere mid-way through the next. And we didn't pop into the compound once during the entirety of season three. (Juniper Creek? Um, no thanks...)

With a brand new season set to roll out tonight on HBO, we figure we'll stroll through--check on the sister-wives and see how things are playing out these days.

Here's a handy refresher recap if you'd like to meet up!

Ah, yes... Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T08:52:00.007-05:00

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?

2009-12-24T12:05:00.007-05:00

(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!!

2009-11-20T15:51:00.008-05:00

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?!

CineKink: San Francisco

2009-11-17T02:03:00.009-05:00

Now that we've rested up from Berlin, we're hitting the circuit again. This time it's almost like heading home, as we're welcomed once again by the wonderfully hospitable Yerba Buena Center for the Arts for another round of CineKink: San Francisco.

Cutting across orientations to celebrate and explore a wide diversity of sexuality, film and video offerings in this kink-friendly, traveling showcase range from documentary to drama, camp comedy to hot porn, mildy spicy to quite explicit - and everything in between.

Thursday, November 19th - Saturday, November 21st
Yerba Buena Center for the Art
701 Mission Street (@ Third)
San Francisco

Along for the ride will be:

Kinky
A light-hearted, yet thought-provoking look at issues affecting the sexuality of Black Americans (and playing with San Francisco director Erin Palmquist's BDSM: It's Not What You Think)

Whips & Restraints
A kinky collection of shorts that dip into the toy-bag and play with the dynamics of sexual power and release, control and submission.

Lipsticks & Crinoline
A colorfully pansexual mash-up of gender frolics, blurred boundaries, several pairs of Lycra bicycle shorts--and some very high style!

Wanton Female Desires
An exploration and celebration of the female pleasure and the varied, delightful pursuits of such.

The Auteur
A mélange of romantic comedy and raunchy satire set in the world of adult film, the story of renowned porn director Arturo Domingo, the creative genius behind classics like Five Easy Nieces and Requiem for a Wet Dream.

Best of CineKink/2009 Shorts Sampler
A special sampling of some of the hot shorts deemed the very best of CineKink, with jury-selected awards determined during the latest run of our annual festival.

We've been hearing a lot of buzz, so get your tickets now. And we'll see you at Yerba!

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!)