XFANZ Managing Director Alan Hawkins moderated the discussion, and panelists included industry legend Nina Hartley, writer-director Ernest Greene, Vivid-Alt director Eon McKai, performer-director Kylie Ireland, former Wildlife contract star Brooke Hunter and editor-producer Robyn Migel.
The panel commenced with an adult video montage beginning with a clip from the 1950s and followed chronologically through the 2000s. Included clips came from such movies as “The Opening of Misty Beethoven,” “Possessions,” “New Wave Hookers” and “Art School Sluts.”
Hawkins kicked off the discussion by asking the panel to define the terms “pornography” and “erotica.” McKai said that he considered porn to be the first interactive medium, “because ultimately, there is a call to action. Guys watch porn and jerk off. Every pornographer has that goal in mind. Adult shows have to be strokeable.”
Ireland, who helms the all-female company Slutwerkz, was quick to point out that she makes “hard, filthy, nasty porn” that is meant to push the envelope, thus moving away from the term erotica, which she defined as couple’s films or softcore productions. “By definition, porn shows hardcore sex. I want my films to be as hard-fucking-core as possible, but they will show that the women are totally empowered sexually,” she said.
Greene, the most seasoned member of the panel, said that he creates porn that he himself would want to see and seeks to take the viewer on a journey of sexuality with him.
“[Director] Bruce Seven once told me that behind every porn movie is one guy jerking off,” he said, “and he couldn’t be more right, because that one guy is me!”
As each director on the panel introduced their respective clips, the discussion turned into the rise of all-sex movies and how storytelling in adult films has evolved over the years. Greene credits Evil Angel’s John Stagliano with furthering the adult medium because “Porn used to be stories about sex. Now, sex tells the story. John was the master of letting the sex speak louder than any dialogue.”
Hartley touted porn as a means by which couples could introduce new ideas to the bedroom for sexual exploration, or it can be used to spice up stagnated sex lives. Greene said porn saved him from hiding his kinkiness for the rest of his life; he sought out porn as an outlet to express the inner desires he couldn’t reveal in a corporate mainstream film career.
“Adult movies are not only a means of sexual expression, they represent filmmaking at its finest — in the hands of a creative director,” Hartley said. “Adult movies are healthy, wonderful and helpful. I get amazing letters and emails all the time from couples, or women who say their sex lives have improved dramatically after watching my educational series.”
After the panel wrapped, attendees were treated to go-go dancers and an open bar in the club’s main room.
“To have the minds like we had talking about the thing they love and enjoy most was really something special,” Hawkins said. “But what was great was that everyone fell into a groove. They traded ideas, had wonderful stories and listened to each other intently. Thanks to sponsors like Peekaboo and Pulpo, the afterparty was great, and I think we introduced the Silver Lake Film festival to what an adult industry party is all about.”
