CineKink Proceeding with Annual Kinky Film Festival

NEW YORK—Organizers for the 17th annual edition of the CineKink NYC annual film festival, announced the event will move ahead as planned. “At present time, we are still planning to move ahead with the CineKink NYC festivities,” said Lisa Vandever, co-founder and director of CineKink. “In light of evolving concerns about COVID-19, we’re looking at ways to make the event as safe as possible for our participants, while reserving most of the fun. We’ll be working with our venues in the next several days to coordinate efforts, and will monitor the local New York situation to keep our attendees apprised of any new developments.” Running March 18-22, the event billing itself as “the kinky film festival” will feature a specially-curated program of films and videos that celebrate and explore a wide diversity of sexuality, with offerings ranging from documentary to drama, comedy to experimental, mildly spicy to quite explicit, and everything in between. CineKink NYC begins Wednesday, March 18, at 8 p.m., with a fundraising Kick-Off Gala at Taj Lounge (48 W. 21st St., NYC), a pansexual celebration with plans to include burlesque performances, a raffle of sex-positive swag, and some decadent cinematic morsels.  The festival then moves to Anthology Film Archives (32 Second Ave., NYC) from Thursday, March 19, through Saturday, March 21, with several different film programs scheduled for each day.  An awards celebration and an AfterGlow party complete the festival's run on Sunday, March 22.   THURSDAY First up, on Thursday, March 19, at 7:15 p.m., the CineKink Season Opener, The Intern: Summer of Lust, is the explicit tale of a young woman who sets out on an erotic European adventure when her sister turns up missing. Then, at 9:15 p.m., a collection of lusty shorts, Swipe Right, explores libidinous pursuit, including a too-frequent internet annoyance, a borrowed cup of sugar and a metaphysical orgy.   FRIDAY On Friday, March 20, at 7:15 p.m., in First Blush a young, married couple becomes involved with another woman, and all must learn to navigate the complications – and pleasures - of a polyamorous relationship. And at 9:30 p.m., Gaming the Gaze is a set of sexy shorts that look at seizing the gaze for fun and profit. Sometimes the process is a pleasure, sometimes it’s work … and sometimes it's a mixture of both.   SATURDAY Kicking off Saturday, March 21, at 1 p.m., Ask Any Buddy combines fragments from more than 100 all-male hardcore films— spanning the years 1968-1986— to create a vivid snapshot of urban gay life in the era. At 3 p.m., CineKink's annual adult cinema showcase BringIt! features a dazzling array of talent, each representing a wide range of genres and visual styles, all stepping up with a hot sampling of their recent endeavors.  At 5:30 p.m., an engaging, documentary look at Chicago’s Afro-Futuristic, BDSM and fetish-themed house music party, Thee Debauchery Ball, explores how the event has reshaped the city’s Black social scene and challenged narratives of Black sexuality. At 7:45 p.m., an edgy round-up of shorts, Safeword, explores some of the common ties that bind the kink communities … and some of the proclivities that might set them apart.  And at 10 p.m., Volunteers Wanted, a mix of documentary and drama shot at the Pornfilmfestival Berlin, follows two sex worker/performers as they get lost in the city’s nightlife and share some intense, fleeting moments together.   SUNDAY CineKink NYC concludes the evening of Sunday, March 22, at 7 p.m. with the CineKink Awards Celebration, including presentation of the annual festival awards, to be followed at 9 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, party setting.    The location for all Sunday events is Pendulum NYC, a club located in the downtown financial district; exact address will be provided upon advance RSVP/purchase.   For more information, visit CineKink.com.