BERLIN — The eighth annual Porn Film Festival Berlin opened today at Moviemento in Kreuzberg, Berlin, and will run until Sunday.
The festival’s About Page poses a deep philosophical question that has plagued mainstream filmmakers and pornographers alike: “What’s the difference between art and porn?” Porn Film Festival Berlin has the long sought-after answer: “Art is expensive!”
Despite the playful preface, the festival sources serious credentials as the brainchild of Jürgen Brüning, the founder of the acclaimed gay porn studios Cazzo and Wurstfilm and underground film connoisseur.
Brüning noted that the festival has evolved dramatically evolved over the years, partially mirroring changes in the adult business at large.
He explained to a Berlin-based blogger that over the years the industry experienced a “market adjustment,” in which smaller, independent companies were absorbed by larger ones — a common capitalist phenomenon. In terms of the festival, the market adjustment led to a shift away from feature-length hardcore films, which can't secure funding, to more mainstream films that incorporate pornographic elements.
This year’s lineup offers diverse viewing experiences — from electro-rocker Peaches’ film adaptation of her play “Peaches Does Herself,” to an experimental art haus film hailing from the Phillipines, “Love Jungle,” to rediscovered vintage porn from Avery Willard.
Thematically, the eighth edition of the festival will spotlight the world of SM (sado-masochism) and bondage.
For more information about the film festival and a full program listing, click here.
