UCLA Film & TV Archive to Honor Late Erotica Pioneer Pat Rocco

UCLA Film & TV Archive to Honor Late Erotica Pioneer Pat Rocco

LOS ANGELES — The late Pat Rocco, a pioneering gay adult filmmaker, will be honored with a memorial tribute and screening presented by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, Outfest and the ONE Archives.

The event, free to the public, will be held at the Billy Wilder Theater at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

“Los Angeles and its LGBTQ community lost one of their great chroniclers with the passing in November of filmmaker and activist Pat Rocco,” said the UCLA Archive.

The Brooklyn-born Rocco fell in love with Los Angeles when he relocated with his parents in the mid-1940s. As an adult, his career behind the camera blossomed when he answered an ad in the Free Press looking for a photographer of nude males. These early photo shoots quickly led to short 8mm and 16mm films that often featured his performers acting out stories he penned himself. The themes ranged from bucolic romance to pie-throwing slapstick burlesque.

The openly gay filmmaker did not hide his films. He famously debuted a selection of them at the Park Theatre in Los Angeles in 1968, the city’s first-ever public exhibition of “overtly gay films with male nudity,” notes the UCLA Archive. “More than titillating erotica, they exhibited a personal vision that celebrated a romantic, joyful positive image of men in love.”

Rocco’s films, which critic and author Jim Kepner then described as “exhilarating, fresh, ideal, basic and agonizingly beautiful,” were a success and enabled him to continue exploring his passions, including using his cameras to capture the birth of the gay civil rights movement in the city.

A UCLA rep described Rocco as “a one-of-a-kind storyteller and entertainer. We are proud to join with these institutions to remember and celebrate Rocco’s inspiring life and career with a selection of films, clips and remembrances.”

Click here for additional details, read the UCLA Film & Television Archive blog for vintage clips and remembrances and follow their Twitter handle.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Hentaied Founder Romero 'Mr. Alien' on Fetish, Fantasy and Finding Order in Chaos

A sharp sting pierces the woman’s skin. Something foreign slips beneath the surface. Eggs, maybe. She doesn’t know it yet, but soon her body will become a vessel, a hive, a source of contamination.

Bree Mills Unpacks Power, Pain and Family Ties in New Pure Taboo Film

Bell is shooting a scene for “The Secrets We Share,” a new feature from Pure Taboo and Adult Time — and moments like this remind the crew that they are not out to make just another adult movie.

Cubbi Thompson Stars in Latest From Brazzers

Cubbi Thompson stars with Keiran Lee in the latest release from Brazzers, titled "Slippery Business."

Adult Time Drops Bree Mills' 'Hard Stop Reunion' Documentary, New Scene

Adult Time has released a documentary feature on the recent Bree Mills-helmed drama “Hard Stop” as well as a new cast orgy scene, titled “Hard Stop Reunion Orgy.”

Gal Ritchie Performs Her 1st Anal for Brazzers

Gal Ritchie performs her first anal scene alongside Ricky Johnson in the latest Brazzers release, titled “Say Hello to My Little Arsehole.”

Elegant Angel Premieres Jennifer White Showcase 'Hollywood Whore'

Jennifer White gets the spotlight in a new six-part showcase release from Elegant Angel.

Autumn Rain Headlines Latest From TransSensual

Autumn Rain stars with Little Puck in “Playtime with a TS MILF,” from TransSensual.

Adult Time Releases New 'Out of the Family' Episodes for 'Steptember'

Adult Time has released new episodes of “Out of the Family,” as part of its “Steptember” series programming.

Alina Lopez Stars in Final Installment of Blacked Feature 'The Blueprint'

Alina Lopez stars with Vixen Media Group exclusive Jason Luv in the final installment of Blacked's new feature, "The Blueprint."

Miss Lexa Makes Her Brazzers Debut

Miss Lexa has made her Brazzers debut alongside JMac in the studio's latest release, titled "Miss Lexa Is a Powerhouse."

Show More