There are some changes from last year's awards: there are no categories this year, the nominees have been listed in advance and the selection of winners is being done by members of the local community as well as Good For Her staff.
"Among the judges, we have a woman who's a director herself, an academic who's studying pornography and a journalist who's also a student," Good For Her manager Alison Lee told XBIZ. "They're all holed up watching porn."
The criteria for nomination are: a woman had a hand in the production, writing and/or direction of the work; it depicts genuine female pleasure; it expands the boundaries of sexual representation on film and challenges stereotypes that are often found in mainstream porn; "and, of course, it has to be hot!"
Nominated productions include Courtney Trouble’s "Roulette." featuring gay male sex scenes on a sunny rooftop, a gangbang in a bar and "sweet and authentic couples"; "Man of My Dreams" by Mimi Balfour, which presents women and their fantasies of hot, hunky guys in their stripped-down glory; Tobi Hill-Meyer’s "Doing It Ourselves: The Trans Woman Porn Project"; several productions of artistic and hardcore kink by Madison Young — including "Tail of a Bondage Model," "Bride of Sin" and "Undone" — showing women who like it rough, but on their own terms; as well as more-traditional productions like Tristan Taormino's "Chemistry" Vol. 3 and 4, Jayme Waxman's instructional videos from Adam & Eve and girl/girl productions from Abby Winters and Sweetheart Video.
The complete list of 46 nominees is available on the Good For Her website.
The awards will be given out April 24 at a show featuring entertainers and filmmakers, with a silent auction and raffle. Some of the proceeds will go to proceeds go to the Sexual Health Education and Pleasure Project, offering sex-positive sex education to youth and marginalized communities in and around Toronto.
There will be a screening of clips from nominees and winners of the awards on April 25, with a panel discussion and question and answer session with nominated filmmakers. The panel is expected to include Madison Young, Courtney Trouble, Tobi Hill-Meyer, Mimi Balfour and Joanne Loton.
Tickets for the awards and screening are available staring March 30 at the Good For Her store in Toronto and at the Good For Her website.
