The San Francisco PornFilmFestival is a multi-generational celebration of the industry’s history, and a look forward to the innovations of today’s adult filmmakers. The annual festival returns with an expertly curated collection of 69 films screening August 16th through the 27th. Watch virtually, or join us in person for 2 days of action-packed programs broadcasting live from the Brava Theater on Friday August 18th and Saturday August 19th. 

Get tickets to watch virtually or in the theater!

69 films present an erotic smorgasbord with something for everyone, in a wide assortment of films exploring sexuality, spanning experimental to documentary. Attendees can look forward to in-person and virtual screenings, socials, filmmaker chats, and a vibrant collection of well-crafted and thought-provoking erotic and adult films. This year’s festival features a fresh line-up of films premiering this year, as well as a look back at classic LGBTQ+ movies. This year also sees a trend coming out after the initial wave of the pandemic isolation: group sex scenes! The festival closes with BIG/BANG, a curation of who’s-who in contemporary porn-making around the world. Films from the Bay Area and beyond “push the genre” expanding the cinematic landscape of sexuality.

Grab your ticket and prepare to embark upon a journey of erotic and explicit cinema!

Projection of Porn

A Smorgasbord of Porn

The festivities begin online Wednesday, August 16th as FORE/PLAY kicks off a 24-hour offering of 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. Films showcase international filmmakers, including Auto/Visual and Jerks from Greece, NARCISSISM from Germany, and House of Woland from Australia, while Documenting a Hot Summer Weekend and The Dinner Party represent contemporary Bay Area porn producers.

On Thursday, August 17th, artists will come together at 11:00AM Pacific, streaming online from across the seas in the MEET/GREET filmmaker chat.

Later that evening at 7:00PM, the festival’s OPENING FILM presents an early 2000’s San Francisco homegrown dyke porn, Sugar High Glitter City. Filmmakers Jack Strano and Shar Rednour from SIR Productions will be in conversation with scholar Lynn Comella. The landmark film is preceded by an excerpt from Houston’s 2000’s queer porn cult classic The Crash Pad. This program is a must-see for fans of dyke and queer porn, and anyone curious about the history of an important yet often overlooked period in queer film history.

Sugar High Glitter City

Honoring the Classics

The festival strives to honoring the legacy of adult filmmakers from decades past by including classic titles within its curation. Previous year curations have included films such as Arthur J. Bressan Jr.’s Forbidden Letters, Francis Savel’s Equation to an Unknown, Fred Halsted’s L.A. Plays Itself, 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!

This year’s classic films span 1970’s through early 2000’s. Check out Fire Island Fever (1974) by Jack Deveau in FORE/PLAY, The Crash Pad (2005) by Shine Louise Houston and Sugar High Glitter City (2001) by Shar Rednour and Jackie Strano in Opening Night Film, and the short film documentary on Tom DeSimone Big Sur Gay Porn by Ryan A. White in ART/SMUT.

Live from the Brava Theater

On Friday, August 18th, the festival gets physical with two action-packed shorts programs broadcasting live and in-person from the Brava Theater. FUCKING/FUN screens joyful and hardcore shorts at 4:00pm. Local artists include HANKY director Ramses Rodstein and Transit co-creator Jiz Lee in attendance. 

Then at 7:00PM, the narrative and explicit porn program continues with SEX/SCENE. Local highlights include CrashPad Quickies: Knotty Rell and Zuri Love by CrashPad director Ava LaPrima and No Man Like Me by trans creator Jaq Quicksilver. International artists include Australian Into-You-I-See-Me exploring interabled intimacy and the United Kingdom’s Pointe to Please displaying the artistic parallels of ballet and pole dancing.

Saturday, August 19th has us back in the theater with ART/SMUT at 4:00PM presenting short films with an explicit and experimental focus. Works include Big Sur Gay Porn, in which cult filmmaker Tom DeSimone revisits the production of a lost gay film and resurrects youthful adventures on the California coast, while a thermal camera reveals new ways of seeing queer pleasure and desire in Melting Point.

The festival comes to a grand finale at 7:00PM in BIG/BANG, showcasing sex scenes by biggest movers and shakers in the queer and ethical adult scene: Midnight Tryst by Forplay Films (Los Angeles), Beer and Loving with Las Bangers by HardWerk Pictures (Berlin), RITES OF SPRING by Four Chambers (London), Babygurl’s Big Birthday Bang by AORTA Films (New York) and CrashPad’s End of Year Special (San Francisco). The global ensemble of films celebrates joyful sex, bodies, and represents the latest in contemporary adult filmmaking.

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.

Beer and Loving with Las Bangers

RE/PLAY for days!

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 69 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 2023 San Francisco PornFilmFestival is powered by PinkLabel.TV and made possible thanks to the financial support of Premier Sponsors AdultTime, Treasure Island Media, and over 100 backers. The festival is powered by indie streaming adult platform PinkLabel.TV.

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.

The 2023 San Francisco PornFilmFestival screens August 16th – 27th online and in-person August 18th-19th at the Brava Theater, broadcasting live to audiences around the world. Watch with theater tickets or a virtual festival pass.

Get Tickets NOW!

Featured image: Celestial Bodies