FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CineKink Announces Award Winners at Annual Kinky Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY; February 23, 2010 - Rounding out multiple days of screenings and parties in its sixth annual appearance, organizers for CineKink NYC/2010 announced the recipients of awards in a range of categories during the film festival's closing celebrations held on Sunday, February 21, 2010.

"The audience and jury response was particularly enthusiastic this year," noted Lisa Vandever, CineKink co-founder and director, as she presented the awards. "We had a record set in the Audience Choice award ratings for'S&M Judge' and the rankings on our selections were generally high across the board. My thanks to all of the filmmakers for allowing us to share their amazing works."

Audience Choice Awards were given to "S&M Judge" (Erik Lamens) for Best Narrative Feature and to "My Sexuality: A Sensory Experience" (Felicia Giouzelis) for Best Documentary Feature, with an Honorable Mention award going to the documentary "Waxie Moon" (Wes Hurley). The choice awards were determined by audience ballot just following each eligible film's screening during the festival.

In the shorts competition, juried festival awards went to "Walking the Dog" (Luigi Campi), "Balloons" (Charles Nuckolls) for Best Documentary Short, "Handcuffs" (Erika Lust) for Best Experimental Short, and to "The Pinky Song" (Rick Ferguson) for Best Music Video. Honorable Best Mention awards were presented to "Coverage" (Jef Taylor), "Hungry for Love" (Ruckus Skye) and "The Sheep and the Ranchhand" (Loretta Hintz).

Determining the shorts awards, CineKink jurors this year included 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.

The CineKink Select, an occasional festival award recognizing artistic innovation, was presented to three films this year, going to "Modern Love is Automatic" (Zach Clark) and "Anti-Samaritan Hotline" (A. Tad Chamberlain) for Creative Vision, and to "Libidoland" (Julie Keck and Jessica King) for Outstanding Viral Achievement.

The first-ever CineKink "Bring It!" award, determined by audience ballot during a presentation of excerpts showcasing current adult cinema, went to "Tristan Taormino's Rough Sex" (Tristan Taormino).

The CineKink Tribute, recognizing extraordinary depictions of kink and sex-positivity in mainstream film and television, was presented to "American Swing" (Mathew Kaufman and Jon Hart/Magnolia Pictures, 2009), a documentary about the infamous Plato's Retreat, for its "humorous yet respectful look back at a particularly free-wheeling time and place in America's sexual history." Honorable mentions for the CineKink Tribute went to the television series' "Dollhouse" (Fox), "Gossip Girl" (CW) and, for the second year running, "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS). Works eligible for consideration this year were those released or aired in the United States from January 1 until December 31, 2009.

Making its seventh annual run February 16-21, 2010, 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/2010 included 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.

Selections from CineKink NYC will be featured in a traveling version of the festival, slated to appear in various cities throughout the coming year.

For more information, visit http://www.cinekink.com

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CINEKINK NYC/2010 - DETAILED AWARD INFORMATION

"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)

"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 CineKink "Bring It!" award is determined by audience ballot during a presentation of excerpts showcasing recent adult cinema.

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

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

Works eligible for consideration this year were those released or aired in the United States from January 1 through December 31, 2009.

"American Swing"

(released by Magnolia Pictures; directed/produced by Mathew Kaufman and Jon Hart)

Honorable Mentions:

"Dollhouse" (Fox)

"Gossip Girl" (CW)

"How I Met Your Mother" (CBS)

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PHOTOS:

Photos from the awards celebration are at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cinekink/sets/72157623370174251/

A range of publicity stills from the award-winning selections are at: http://www.cinekink.com/presskit/2010_pics/award_winners/

If you require hi-res photos or additional images, please contact us as below.

CONTACT: Lisa Vandever

PHONE: 917-609-5928 (press contacts only, please, not for publication)

EMAIL: press2010 * at * cinekink.com

WEB: http://www.cinekink.com

BLOG: http://cinekink.com/blog

ABOUT CINEKINK NYC

Billing itself as "the kinky film festival," CineKink NYC returned for its seventh annual appearance February 16-21, 2010, to be followed by a national showcase tour. Presented by CineKink, an organization dedicated to the recognition and encouragement of kink-positive depictions in film and television, works featured at CineKink range from documentary to drama, camp comedy to hot porn, mildly spicy to quite explicit - and everything in between.

For more information, visit http://www.cinekink.com