The 2nd Annual Feminist Porn Awards

By Alison Lee, May 30, 2007 Comments (0)

While a lot of art has been called pornography, is pornography necessarily art? Chanelle Gallant, manager of Toronto's Good For Her, who are organizing the Feminist Porn Awards thinks that “all cultural production is art”, regardless of whether that art is considered "good" or not.

Now in their second year, The Emmas (named for feminist godmother Emma Goldman), will be handing out more shiny glass butt plug trophies for films and videos in categories like Smutty School Teacher (for educational titles), Hottest Trans Sex Scene, Indie Porn Pioneer and Hottest Diverse Cast.

This celebration doesn't just recognize the good work being done by filmmakers and actors though - it's also continuing the discussion around pornography and women's role (or lack thereof) in the production of mainstream porn. The round table discussion this year includes Shine Louise Houston, director of The Crash Pad, SuperFreak and In Search of the Wild Kingdom (and the only queer woman of colour with a distribution deal as of yet), Anna Span, who has filmed more than 185 scenes in the U.K., Simone Valentino, actress extraordinaire in titles including AfroDite Superstar and The Bi Apple, and Peggy Comstock, who along with partner Tony Comstock produces raunchy documentaries with real-life couples.

While many more women and feminists are embracing pornography and erotic expression (with or without caveats) there is still plenty of debate surrounding issues of representation within dirty movies, with some question still to what an event like this hopes to achieve. All in all, Gallant says that the Feminist Porn Awards are set up with multiple goals in mind: “One, to celebrate feminist porn filmmakers who don't otherwise get much recognition for the fact that their work is feminist [...] and to let people know that they have choices when it comes to the porn that they watch. People think that what the mainstream porn industry offers is all that there is, but in fact there are a lot more options out there”. And with more events like the Feminist Porn Awards, more discussion, and more thoughtful, engaged, critical artists making hump films, the future for sexy and feminist porno looks pretty bright.

The Feminist Porn Awards will be doling out trophies, accolades, screenings and music Friday, June 1st at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto. Tickets are $15 advance or $18 at the door, and can be purchased through Good For Her's website or at their store (175 Harbord Street).

Also of interest:
Sexist by design: Mattel and American Airlines
Feminism(s): film, video and politics symposium