>Rated X in Amsterdam!

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Jan 152009
 

>For those of you fortunate enough to find yourself in Amsterdam this weekend–or with the wherewithal to grab a last-minute red-eye across the Atlantic–be sure to drop in for the cinematic antics at Rated X!

More tongue-twistingly known as the Amsterdam Alternative Erotica Film Festival and curated in part by our good friend and CineKink alum Jennifer Lyon Bell, the event promises “big-screen sexuality coming from a myriad of different angles and artistic perspectives.” We’ll be mixing it up–at least on that big screen–with CineKink’s “Kinky Bits,” a program featuring such favorites as Anonymity, Coming Out Spanko, Namaha Man, guy101, Hitchcocked, Who’s The Top and Married with Children.

Also around for the festivities will be Maria Beatty and Tony Comstock, each of whom will be enjoying a retrospective moment in the spotlight, along with a veritable reunion of CineKink alumni. Past and–we certainly hope–future.

Hope towish we could see you there!

>The procrastinator’s almost-too-late gift-giving guide to kinky cinema

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Dec 192008
 

>Maybe it’s our masochistic streak, but we always find ourselves waiting until it’s really almost too late before we kick into gift-giving mode during the holiday season. Ahhhh the sweet torture…the rush of adrenalin, the sense of impending danger as we fear we’ve really done it this time…followed by the relief of just barely squeaking it out in time!

For those of you who also indulge in this ritualistic practice of self-abuse, a few choice tidbits of cinematic kink for your giving pleasure, all available with a little extra penance paid in the form of two-day (next-day?!) shipping via Amazon.

But hurry! Or not, if you really enjoy your punishments:

Preaching to the Perverted
As we mentioned earlier, there’s a new Guinevere Turner-hosted edition of this sexy saga, the tale of a fresh-faced (and suit-wearing!) moral crusader who attempts to infiltrate the lair of fetish goddess Tanya Cheex (aka Guinevere Turner!). (Winner, Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature, CineKink ’03)

Silken Sleeves
Just in time for the new year, director Maria Beatty celebrates the four seasons of kink in the form of bondage diva Midori lavishing all kinds of attention on the helpless and beautiful Maya. Fall, winter, spring…mmm, summer! (Winner, Audience Choice Award for Best Experimental Feature, CineKink ’08)

Swingtown: The First Season
Oh, the swinging seventies! We’re still waiting for news that this engagingly sex-positive ABC(!) series will be back for another round–yep, we’re masochists–but in the meantime, here’s the first, glorious season all in one place.

The Notorious Bettie Page
We were all sad to learn of the passing of Bettie Page. This homage, directed by Mary Harron and starring Gretchen Mol, is a moving and tender portrait of the infamous pin-up star and the people who both created and consumed the imagery for which she’s known best. (Winner, CineKink Tribute, CineKink ’06)

Film Festival Secrets: A Handbook for Independent Filmmakers
You wouldn’t step into a dungeon without knowing how not to flog somebody in the kidneys–well, at least you shouldn’t. Similarly, don’t set forth on the path of the film festival circuit without having some clue of what you’re doing. Here’s that and more, all jammed into one handy, travel-ready tome.

So, there’s a good start! We’re going to keep this brief since, well, we’ve still got some shopping of our own to do, but more rummaging can be found in our CineKink @ Amazon section–with past festival selections available here!

Don’t mind the mess–we’re still moving things around. And get shopping!

>And the award goes to…

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Mar 072008
 

>As promised – though slightly delayed by the lingering and distracting effects of our Afterglow – a variety of CineKink NYC awards were announced at our awards celebration on Sunday night!

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS – “CineKink Choice”
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 2008 award winners are:

CineKink Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature:
“Call Me Troy” (Scott Bloom, 2007, USA, 100 minutes)

CineKink Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature:
“Viva” (Anna Biller, 2006, USA, 120 minutes)

CineKink Choice Award for Best Experimental Feature:
“Silken Sleeves” (Maria Beatty, 2006, USA, 50 minutes)

CineKink Choice Award – Honorable Mention:
“Triple X Selects: The Best of Lezsploitation”
(Michelle Johnson, 2007, USA, 48 minutes)

JURY AWARD FOR BEST SHORTS – “CineKink Best”
CineKink Best awards, which go to short works in competition during the festival, were determined by jury deliberation and ranking. The 2008 award winners are:

CineKink Best Narrative Short:
“Who’s the Top?” (Jennie Livingston, 2005, USA, 22 minutes)

CineKink Best Documentary Short:
“Coming Out Spanko” (Tanya Bezreh, 2008, USA, 15 minutes)

CineKink Best Animated Short:
“Teat Beat of Sex” (Signe Baumane, 2007, USA, 4 minutes)

CineKink Best Experimental Short:
“Closer” (Aitor Echeverria, 2007, Spain, 7 minutes)
-tie-
“Salt” (Campbell Farquhar, 2006, New Zealand, 3 minutes)

Honorable Mention/Best Experimental Short:
“Crossing” (HP Comings, 2007, USA, 19 minutes)

CineKink Honorable Best Mentions:
“Office Mobius” (Seung Hyung Lee & Seungil Hwang, 2007, USA, 5 minutes)
“Something About Nadia” (Erika Lust, 2007, Spain, 21 minutes)
“Wash Me Clean” (Michael Immerman, 2008, USA, 30 minutes)

This year’s jury included Thor Stockman, creator and presenter of the popular film clip program “S/M at the Movies,” Viviane, ring-leader of the sex blog, “Viviane’s Sex Carnival, and Bill Woods, a film festival programmer and curator of the New Filmmakers series at Anthology Film Archives.

SPECIAL FESTIVAL AWARD FOR ARTISTIC INNOVATION – “CineKink Select”
“Schwarzwald” (Richard Kimmel, 2007, USA, 59 minutes)

FESTIVAL AWARD FOR EXTRAORDINARY DEPICTION OF KINK & SEX IN MAINSTREAM FILM & TELEVISION – “CineKink Tribute”
Recognizing extraordinary depiction of kink and sex in mainstream film and television, the annual CineKink Tribute was presented to:

“Shortbus” (2006, USA, 106 minutes)
Director: John Cameron Mitchell
Screenwriter: John Cameron Mitchell
Cast: Sook-Yin Lee, Paul Dawson, Lindsay Beamish, PJ DeBoy, Raphael Barker, Jay Brannan, Peter Stickles and Justin Bond.
Producers: Howard Gertler, John Cameron Mitchell and Tim Perell
Executive Producer: Wouter Barendrecht and Alexis Fish
Distributor: ThinkFilm

CineKink Tribute Honorable Mentions (aka The CineKink Nod):
“Lust, Caution” (Focus Features)
“The Oprah Winfrey Show – 237 Reasons to Have Sex”
“Zoo” (ThinkFilm)

Many thanks and congratulations to this year’s CineKink award winners – and to all of our uber-talented filmmakers!

>An evening of elegant kink

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Jan 072008
 

>Join us tomorrow for a New Year’s double-header of works from Maria Beatty, each offering up the director’s signature “erotic noir” style and depictions of a ride between pain and pleasure at the hands of a beautiful temptress. And then around the corner for a cocktail or two.

The Elegant Spanking
The Elegant Spanking

The Seven Deadly Sins
Sins

“Beatty makes porno into fetishistic film noir; imagine a kinky Louise Brooks, a sadistic Marlene Dietrich (who’s the top?), and some nipple clamps and hot wax, and you’re beginning to get the idea.”
– Tristan Taormino, The Village Voice

Screening:
Tuesday, January 8 @ 7 pm
Two Boots Pioneer Theater
155 E. Third Street (@ Avenue A), NYC
212.591.0434

Cocktails:
China 1
50 Avenue B (@ 4th Street), NYC

More info and tickets are here!