The San Francisco PornFilmFestival returns August 24th through the 27th, with four action-packed days of virtual and in-person programing to celebrate the creativity and craft of adult-oriented filmmaking from the Bay Area and beyond. If you miss the show, the festival will be available on-demand in “Re/Play” streaming August 28th through September 10th on SFPFF.PinkLabel.TV.

Five sexy and subversive programs span adult classics, contemporary experimental films, documentaries, and sex scenes that push the genre, depicting a wide array of human sexuality and desire. While not specifically billed as a ‘queer porn’ festival, the curation often gravitates towards films that depict sexualities, bodies, and desires not often reflected in commercial pornography. With over 70 titles, there’s truly ‘something for everyone’ and many festival goers revel in experiencing films they wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

Grab a seat and an open mind and prepare to embark upon a journey of erotic and explicit cinema!

A Smorgasbord of Porn

The festivities kick off online on Wednesday, August 24th as FORE/PLAY kicks off with a 24-hour offering of 40 specially selected short films and features streaming on-demand. Virtual ticket holders can log in and become familiar with the festival website as they watch the collection. The sexual history of the Bay Area will be showcased through selections including, Submission Possible: San Francisco, in which erotic artist Madison Young reunites a community of “sexual luminaries, misfits, artists, kinksters, and activists” such as Annie Sprinkle, Elizabeth Stephens, Midori and Cleo DuBois.

Porn documentary Raw! Uncut! Video! chronicles the rise and fall of homegrown gay porn studio Palm Drive Video and explores how a devoted couple helped battle a devastating health crisis by promoting kinky sex. Local favorites East Bay Brats 4 by TroubleFilms and Filthy FemDom’s Club Cuck showcase the Bay Area’s contemporary BDSM porn producers.

Festival pass holders can meet over a dozen international filmmakers as they come together online on Thursday, August 25th. Then later that night is the opening film: Fred Halsted’s 1972 classic, LA Plays Itself, preceded by short 90’s lesbian erotic film, Hey Sailor, Hey Sister, whose creators will be live in the studio with festival director Shine Louise Houston for a special filmmaker chat.

Honoring the Classics

The festival strives to honoring the legacy of adult filmmakers from decades past by including classic titles within its curation. Previous films have included Arthur J. Bressan Jr.’s Forbidden Letters, Francis Savel’s Equation to an Unknown, and porn history docs such as Smut Capital of America. The first US public screening of hardcore pornography was held in San Francisco in 1970 with the International Erotic Film Festival at the Presidio Theatre. The San Francisco PornFilmFestival launched in 2020 to commemorate its 50th anniversary!

Live from the Brava Theater

On Friday, August 26th, the festival goes hybrid with two action packed shorts programs broadcasting live from the Brava Theater, hosted by Q Wilson. REEL/SEX screens shorts with a documentary flavor at 4:30pm. MostlyPics House director and star Vanniall will be in attendance. Then at 7:30pm that evening, SEX/SCENE continues the fun with local highlights Chaac + Yum by filmmaker Roberto Fatal and performers Xav S-F and Snowflake Calvert (aka Daniel Arizmendi), L’Ingrediente Principale by Isis Tatiana Hockenos and Haley Myer, Transform by Domina Mara and Eternal Flame by duo BeyonDeep. Be sure to stick around for filmmaker Q&A live on stage. We’ll be joined on stage by artists Vanniall, Roberto Fatal, Snowflake Arizmendi, Bryan Camill, and more.

On Saturday, August 27th with FUCKING/FUN at 4:30pm presenting comedic and cleverly artistic shorts. Festival favorites Buttermilk Films aims to please with their latest release, The Holey Grail. Peter Strickland’s experimental short GU04 offers a commentary on machoism with a nod to Chris Marker’s La jetée and the erotic works of Bob Mizer. Adam Baran’s Dirty Boots is an erotic music video that follows a queer biker gang in Brooklyn, drawing inspiration from the films of Kenneth Anger and the photography of Karlheinz Weinberger. The film is narrated by none other than legendary gay porn icon, Peter Berlin.

The festival wraps with its Closing Night Film at 7pm, Gene Graham’s This One’s For the Ladies is a contemporary documentary on Black America as seen through the underground world of erotic dancing. The feature is preceded by the short film GODASSES: Jamal Phoenix. Director Emre Busse conspires with trans porn star Jamal Phoenix to redefine the desirable body.

Neighborhood night scene favorite Pop’s Bar serves as the festival’s in-person mixer both evenings, with a closing night AFTER/PARTY on Saturday after the final show.

If you’ve missed any program, please stay tuned online to catch the RE/PLAY offering festival programs and recorded Q&As on-demand through September 10th. In all, this year’s festival offers a curated collection of over 70 titles spanning experimental to documentary, each pushing the genre of film exploring topics of sexuality. View the full program and get your tickets, on sale for $15 each in-person screening, or all shows for $50. An “All Access” pass for $60 grants attendance to all shows and virtual programs. Those not in San Francisco can watch the show remotely with a $25 Virtual Pass.

The 2022 San Francisco PornFilmFestival is powered by PinkLabel.TV and made possible thanks to the financial support of Premier Sponsors AdultTime, ArtHouse Vienna, Good Vibrations, Zaawaadi, and over 100 backers.

If you’ve never been to an adult film festival – either online or in-person, THIS is your time to experience the unique power of viewing explicit, uncensored, and subversive adult cinema.

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Featured images (top to bottom): Godasses: Jamal Phoenix (8/27), Nectar of the Sublime (8/24), LA Plays Itself (8/25), Chaac + Yum (8/26), This One’s for the Ladies (8/27).