Pucker Up Political Smut Makers
by Tristan Taormino
Feminist porn takes center stage at historic event
...
"We came up with the idea for the Feminist Porn Awards because people don't know they have a choice when it comes to porn," said Chanelle Gallant, manager of Good for Her and the event's organizer. "Yes, there's a lot of bad porn out there. But there is also some great porn being made by and for women.
....
Some say no porn could ever be feminist. Lots of us disagree. But that doesn't mean we agree on what it is: each filmmaker defines her or his work differently. For me, feminist porn is about character, choice, and consciousness. I like to collaborate with performers on how their sexuality is represented, rather than give them a script or formula to follow. I want to capture complex, three-dimensional beings rather than stereotypes, to create an open environment that's safe for everyone—especially women—to take charge of their pleasure and be able to express their desires freely. I want to represent sex as positive, fun, healthy, and adventurous. I consciously work to create images that contradict (and hopefully challenge) other porn that represents women only as objects and vehicles for male pleasure.
...
Selected by the Good for Her staff, winning films had to meet at least two of the following criteria: A woman was substantially involved in the creation of the film as producer, director, or cameraperson; the film portrays real orgasms, and women getting their fair share of genuine pleasure; and the film expands the range of sexual expressions for women. Unlike other porn awards, which focus on performers, the majority of the Emmas (named for early anarchist and feminist pioneer Emma Goldman) went to filmmakers. Candida Royalle received a lifetime achievement award. Her work has clearly paved the way for the rest of us. She began making what she called "erotic films from a woman's point of view" in the 1980s, when the mainstream industry balked at the idea that women, alone or with their partners, watched—let alone enjoyed—porn.
Feminist porn takes center stage at historic event
...
"We came up with the idea for the Feminist Porn Awards because people don't know they have a choice when it comes to porn," said Chanelle Gallant, manager of Good for Her and the event's organizer. "Yes, there's a lot of bad porn out there. But there is also some great porn being made by and for women.
....
Some say no porn could ever be feminist. Lots of us disagree. But that doesn't mean we agree on what it is: each filmmaker defines her or his work differently. For me, feminist porn is about character, choice, and consciousness. I like to collaborate with performers on how their sexuality is represented, rather than give them a script or formula to follow. I want to capture complex, three-dimensional beings rather than stereotypes, to create an open environment that's safe for everyone—especially women—to take charge of their pleasure and be able to express their desires freely. I want to represent sex as positive, fun, healthy, and adventurous. I consciously work to create images that contradict (and hopefully challenge) other porn that represents women only as objects and vehicles for male pleasure.
...
Selected by the Good for Her staff, winning films had to meet at least two of the following criteria: A woman was substantially involved in the creation of the film as producer, director, or cameraperson; the film portrays real orgasms, and women getting their fair share of genuine pleasure; and the film expands the range of sexual expressions for women. Unlike other porn awards, which focus on performers, the majority of the Emmas (named for early anarchist and feminist pioneer Emma Goldman) went to filmmakers. Candida Royalle received a lifetime achievement award. Her work has clearly paved the way for the rest of us. She began making what she called "erotic films from a woman's point of view" in the 1980s, when the mainstream industry balked at the idea that women, alone or with their partners, watched—let alone enjoyed—porn.
posted by Alice at Friday, June 09, 2006
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