After Protests Hit Porn Film Fest, A New Porn Fest Hits London

About three weeks after the London Porn Film Festival was forced underground, holding its screenings at an undisclosed location due to protests by the group Women Against Pornography, as AVN.com reported, a new porn film and art festival is set to hit London.  The Uncensored Festival, founded by Italian-born porn director Lidia Ravviso, is set to run for three days this weekend, May 17, 18 and 19. The festival’s own site describes it as being “for the lovers of pornography, the art lovers and those who reject the distinction between the two genres; for sexy, kinky and deviant audiences; for the fabulous and the monstrous, the fierce, the timid and the curious; for the persistently feminist, unapologetically queer and their uncompromising critical approach to the politics of pleasure.” But Ravviso told Time Out magazine that, at least so far, the Uncensored Festival has not encountered the same resistance that met the London Porn Film Fest. “So far the feedback is positive, not only from communities fighting against censorship in porn but also from people unfamiliar with non-traditional pornography who are curious to learn more,” she told Time Out. Last month’s festival came under attack from feminist groups opposed to porn, but Ravviso said she “disagreed with this viewpoint,” adding, “We’re critical of sexism in the mainstream porn industry—a critique that would be impossible without feminism. But we don’t dismiss pornography. We grew up watching porn, enjoying porn and consider it a very rich genre that gives a lot of space for artistic experimentation.” According to Ravviso, one of the festival’s highlights will be the world premiere of Female Pleasure Circle, a new documentary by acclaimed feminist porn director Erika Lust. The film explores women’s group masturbation, and “consciously challenges the notion of masturbation as a solitary act, whilst simultaneously questioning the stigma surrounding female self pleasure,” according to the site Run-Riot.  Photo via Uncensored Fest video screen capture