CineKink Announces Kinky Line-Up for Eighth Annual Festival

NEW YORK—CineKink NYC returns for its eighth annual appearance Tuesday, March 1, bringing with it a specially curated program of films and videos that celebrates and explores a wide diversity of sexuality. In addition to screenings, plans for the festival also include a short film competition, presentations, audience choice awards, a fund-raising kick-off gala and a concluding afterglow party. Billing itself as "the kinky film festival," the event will run March 1-6, 2011. Presented by CineKink, an organization dedicated to the recognition and encouragement of sex-positive and kink-friendly depictions in film and television, works presented at CineKink NYC will range from documentary to drama, comedy to experimental, mildly spicy to quite explicit—and everything in between. The kink-filled festivities begin Tuesday, March 1, at 8 p.m., with a fundraiser extravaganza at Taj Lounge (48 W. 21st St., NYC), featuring a pansexual celebration that, in addition to music and sexy performances, will offer several cinematic gems. The festival then moves to Anthology Film Archives (32 Second Avenue, NYC)—Wednesday, March 1, through Saturday, March 5—with several different film and video programs scheduled for each day. An awards celebration and an AfterGlow play party complete the festivities on Sunday, March 6. WEDNESDAY Among the headliners, first up on Wednesday, March 2 at 7:00 p.m., is the festival's CineKink Season Opener screening of Kink Crusaders, a documentary look at the International Mr. Leather contest, an annual event that draws thousands of men from around the world to compete for a title and a sash. Then, at 9:15 p.m., Sexual Radar posits the comedic possibilities of a misanthropic detective suddenly able to “hear” the sexual fantasies and musings of those around him. THURSDAY Thursday, March 3 at 7:00 p.m., it's Crave, a colorful collection of shorts that look longingly at a wide range of desires and fixations. Then, at 9:00 p.m., An Open Invitation: A Real Swingers Party in San Francisco follows a happily-married couple as their rather staid relationship is elevated and erotically-charged by a chance introduction to the swing lifestyle--all culminating in their appearance at a “real life” sex party extravaganza. FRIDAY Friday, March 4 at 6:45 p.m., the shorts program Adventures in the Skin Trade looks at various nuances when sex, work and money intersect. At 9:00 p.m., Lust, Love, Life is a sexy collection of shorts that celebrate those all-crucial four-letter words. And in Caged, at 10:40 PM, a woman admits to her true sexual desires after years of marriage—and finds herself forced to fight for both her freedom and her life. SATURDAY Kicking off Saturday, March 5 at 1:00 p.m., is an autobiographical documentary, Run, Run, It’s Him, which explores in intimate detail how one man’s relationship to porn has warped his understanding of women and dominated his personal interactions. At 3:15 p.m. a panel discussion, Porn Again, moves beyond polarizing debate to consider porn-making that is grounded in pleasure and ethics. At 5:30 PM a special industry showcase, BRING IT!, features a dazzling array of talent from today's adult cinema, each representing a wide range of genres and visual styles, all stepping up with a hot sampling of their recent creative endeavors.  At 8:00 PM, Pride and Predilections is a fun and festive assortment of shorts about sexual orientation, identity and one’s place in the world. And, closing out the festival's regular screening schedule at 10:10 PM, Indietro unravels the late-night visit of Honey and Nick—two suburban “vanillas”—to the mysterious and sprawling home of George and Martha, the king and queen of kink, and their “maid,” Camille. SUNDAY CineKink NYC concludes the evening of Sunday, March 6 at 6 p.m., with an Awards Celebration, including encore screenings of jury-selected best shorts from the week and presentation of the annual festival awards, to be followed at 9:00 p.m. by the CineKink Afterglow Party, one last chance to mingle with like-minded festival-goers and enjoy a few additional screenings, this time in a relaxed play party setting. The locations for both events will be announced at a later date. For more information and advance tickets, visit www.cinekink.com. Advance tickets and passes may be purchased via http://cinekinknyc2011.eventbrite.com/ Ticket prices for each regular screening are $10/$9 advance; $6 for seniors and students, door only. Admission to the Kick-Off Gala is a suggested donation of $15/$10 advance; admission to the Afterglow Party is $30/individual, $40/couple, $50/triad, advance purchase only. The Awards Celebration on Sunday evening is free of charge.  All prices are inclusive of online ticketing fees. A limited number of CineKink All-Access Passes, covering admission to all 12 regular screening programs, plus all parties, are available in advance for $80; $70 for members of any sexuality-focused organization; $60 for students/seniors; $45 for CineKinksters & Friends w/Benefits (CineKink donors).