SAN FRANCISCO — Director and Pink & White Productions founder Shine Louise Houston has returned to crowdfunding for her new short film.
Lotus Lain, Michael Vegas and Nina Hartley are set to costar in the short, titled “Chemistry Eases the Pain.” The Indiegogo campaign launches Friday; Houston had used the platform to fund an earlier film, “Snapshot.”
The supporting cast includes Emperatrix, Nicki Honey, Valentine, Mona Wales and “non-binary rocker Jackie Strano of 'Sugar High Glitter City' fame.”
“Crowdfunding invites audiences to order and enjoy fun perks, while affording Houston complete artistic control with a budget for a larger production,” a rep said.
“’Snapshot’ enjoyed a global indie festival run and multiple awards, while its campaign garnered positive press coverage in Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post and PBS MediaShift, among others. Shortly after, Houston was highlighted in the ‘New York Times.’ Undoubtedly, her career has been elevated in part from inviting audience support to bring her unique visions to life. And now she’s ready to do it again."
Lain will play “Frankie,” a “staunchly lesbian-identified college student who finds herself attracted to a straight male classmate, ‘Matt’ (Vegas). The film explores sexual identity in Houston's original, humorous and refreshingly earnest style,” the rep notes.
“I’m very excited to be able to portray a bi-curious, not-so-femme lesbian — that’s rare,” said Lane. “Which is what I appreciate about Shine’s storytelling with roles for those of us outside of the mainstream lens: I connected with the character and her circumstances, so I’m excited to inject some of my personal experiences into the development of Frankie's character.”
Hartley, who will play the mother of Lane's character, praised Houston and her production team. “Shine and her amazing crew continue to create real, vibrant, meaningful sexually explicit media and it’s only getting better,” she said. “I am excited beyond measure to work with her again and can’t wait to see what she has in store.”
Scholars Linda Williams and Dr. Mireille Miller-Young, filmmaker Cheryl Dunye and activists Nenna Joiner, Madeline Lim, Tobi Hill-Meyer and attorney Alex Austin have lent their support to the project.
Feelmore, Good Vibrations and Oh Joy Sex Toy are among the companies to lend additional support.
Click here for the Indiegogo campaign page and follow Houston’s Twitter handle. Pink & White is on Twitter here.
In related news, Houston and fellow Pink & White principal Jiz Lee presented a panel, earlier this month, at the 2019 XBIZ Show titled “Queer Porn vs. the Mainstream: Bridging the Gap.” Click here for that story.
