Sundance Screens Porn-Centric Releases at Annual Festival

PARK CITY, Utah—More evidence that mainstream Hollywood and the porn industry are inexorably linked comes with the 2013 Sundance Film Festival screening a quartet of porn-centric films. One of the largest independent film festivals in the country, the event showcases new work from filmmakers across the globe. The first Sundance film, and the one most closely related to the current adult entertainment industry is James Franco's and Christina Voros' documentary on Kink.com, aptly titled kink. The doc gets its world premiere during the festival's "edgy" Park City at Midnight screenings.Described as "a story of sex, submission and big business is told through the eyes of the unlikely pornographers whose 9:00-to-5:00 work days are spent within the confines of the San Francisco Armory building, home to the sprawling porn production facilities of Kink.com," Franco spent a considerable amount of time at the facility trailing Kink.com honcho Peter Acworth, who stars in the picture. In addition to kink, the festival also will screen two world premiere biopics of late adult industry pioneers.The Look of Love, directed by Michael Winterbottom, tells "the true story of British adult magazine publisher and entrepreneur Paul Raymond," who was dubbed the "King of Sofo" and became one of the richest men in England after launching Paul Raymond Publications with the soft-porn magazine Men Only, soon followed by Escort, Club International, Mayfair. Steve Coogan (24 Hour Party People, Night at the Museum) stars as Raymond and Anna Friel playing his wife. The much-discussed Linda Lovelace biopic, Lovelace, plumbs the darker depths of the iconic Deep Throat star. Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!, Dear John) stars as Lovelace in an ensemble cast that also includes Peter Sarsgaard, Hank Azaria, Adam Brody, James Franco and Sharon Stone.Lastly, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, 50/50, Looper) makes his directorial debut with Don Jon's Addiction, the story of "a modern day Don Juan type who is addicted to porn, [and] sets out to become less self-centered after meeting an older woman who is recently widowed." The cast includes Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore. The Sundance Film Festival takes place Jan. 17-27, 2013 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.