SAN FRANCISCO — Vice.com writer Hugh Ryan spotlighted NakedSword Film Works (NSFW), the studio's indie division, in an article titled "This Gay Porn Company Is Upending the Definition of Porn."
Ryan wrote, "NSFW may be the most prominent effort by a major gay porn industry player to date to blur the line between art film and pornography," commending the productions' eclectic approach to tackling complex topics with humor, verve and eroticism. Several of their recent titles were highlighted as exemplary works, such as "Nova Dubai," "100 Boyfriends Mixtape," "Hattie Goes Cruising" and the most recently released "Alfa."
NakedSword producer and product manager Jack Shamama spoke to Ryan about his effort to push the envelope of adult filmmaking, especially when the industry began suffering great losses due to rampant piracy in 2008. He partnered with Travis Mathews to test the indie waters with "I Want Your Love," which garnered two million views a month after it debuted, confirming Shamama's growing realization that studios have to expand their "reach in terms of who we find and who we market to."
Ryan also interviews other NSFW filmmakers, such as Gustavo Vinagre and Adam Baran. Celebrating the mainstream interest that NSFW generates, "Nova Dubai" creator and performer Vinagre remarked, "I was really excited because in the festivals, there's always this discussion, if it is porn, if it's not porn." Baran, meanwhile, underscored his commitment to promoting diversity without "exociticizing" minorities. To achieve such nuanced inclusiveness, Ryan notes that NSFW "flips the script presenting sex through the eyes of a black hipster in Oakland, for instance."
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