NEW YORK — Rounding out multiple days of screenings and parties in its ninth annual appearance, organizers for CineKink NYC announced the recipients of this year’s awards in a range of categories during the film festival's closing celebrations held on Sunday, Feb. 12.
"The overall quality of the films was consistently high this year," said Lisa Vandever, CineKink co-founder and director. "Congratulations not just to the winners tonight, but to all of the works for being part of such a stellar line-up."
Audience Choice Awards were given to "Stage Brother" (Richard Buonagurio) for Best Documentary Feature, with "Cabaret Desire" (Erika Lust) and "Sweet Prudence & The Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot" (William Burke) tying for Best Narrative Feature. The CineKink 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 "A Day in the Country" (Pella Kagerman & Hugo Lilja) for Best Dramatic Short, "Craigslist Dating" (Ryan Hunter) and "Tooshie Smooshie" (Jessica King) tied for Best Camedy Short, "Smut Capital of America" (Michael Stabile) for Best Documentary Short, "What Makes Us Queer?" (Courtney Trouble & Tina Horn) for Best Experimental Short and "Transexual Dominatrix" for Best Music Video. Honorable Best Mention awards were presented to "Pedal to Pleasure" (Poppy Cox & Anne Fidler) and "Skallamann" (Maria Block).
Determining the shorts awards, CineKink jurors this year included sex-blogger MissyStark, Devon Tincknell, an Austin-based event producer and editor of the sex-culture blog "F*Bomb," and Bill Woods, a film festival programmer and curator of the New Filmmakers series at Anthology Film Archives.
The third annual CineKink "Bring It!" award, determined by audience ballot during a presentation of excerpts showcasing current adult cinema, went to "Live Sex Show" (Courtney Trouble).
The CineKink Tribute, recognizing extraordinary depictions of kink and sex-positivity in mainstream film and television, was presented to "3" (Tom Tykwer/Strand Releasing) for its "affirming stance that what works in love and sex need not fall within society's standard definitions." Honorable mentions for the CineKink Tribute went to the film "A Dangerous Method" (David Cronenberg/Sony Pictures Classics), to the television series' "Free Agents" (NBC) and "New Girl" (Fox), and to talk shows "Anderson" (Warner Brothers) and "The Doctors" (CBS). Works eligible for consideration this year were those released or aired in the U.S. from Jan. 1 until Dec. 31, 2011.
Making its ninth annual run, Feb 7-12, 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 explicit.
Sponsors of CineKink NYC/2012 included Crystal Delights, KinkyMedical.net, Leather Archives & Museum, National Coalition for Sexual Freedom and njoy, along with Open Love NY, Pleasure Salon and Poly Cocktails.
Selections from CineKink NYC will be featured in a traveling version of the festival, slated to appear in various cities throughout the coming year.
