CineKink Announces Lineup for 20th-Anniversary Festival

NEW YORK—CineKink NYC returns for the 20th-anniversary edition of its festival from Aug. 2 to 6, 2023, bringing with it a specially-curated program of videos that celebrate and explore a wide diversity of sexuality. In addition to screenings, the festival will also include director Q&As, a "Bring It!"-style adult entertainment showdown, a look back at a restored 50-year-old classic, an awards ceremony, and a week-plus of virtual screenings to follow later on. Billing itself as "the kinky film festival," the event is presented by CineKink, an organization dedicated to the recognition and encouragement of sex-positive and kink-friendly depictions in movies and television. Works featured at CineKink NYC will range from documentary to drama, comedy to experimental, mildly spicy to quite explicit—and everything in between. “Our first foray into the off-line world since the before times, we’re excited to finally be stepping out again with a new, hybrid edition of CineKink NYC,” said Lisa Vandever, co-founder and director of CineKink. “And just in time for our 20th anniversary! It’s so great we can celebrate our two-decade milestone with another selection of amazing works, plus a chance for the CineKink community to finally reunite.”  CineKink NYC screenings will take place at The Wild Project (195 E. Third St., NYC) from Thursday, Aug. 3, through Sunday, Aug. 6, with several different programs scheduled for each day.  The lineup is as follows:   ThursdayFirst up, in Rough Edges on Thursday, Aug. 3, at 6:30 p.m., when a couple hooks up at a BDSM club, their presumed one-night stand evolves as they explore each other’s kinks and try to keep things casual. Then, at 9:00 p.m., a collection of lusty shorts, Get Off!, explores all kinds of pleasuring—self and otherwise.  FridayOn Friday, Aug. 4 at 7:00 p.m., The Affairs of Lidia, an erotic farce from director Bruce LaBruce, follows fashion model, Lidia, as she plots a devious revenge against her philandering—and apparently bisexual—boxer husband. And at 9:00 p.m., following its 50th-anniversary world tour, a 4K restoration of Deep Throat will screen at CineKink, helping the festival celebrate its 20th-anniversary, followed by a panel discussion on the impact the movie has had over the years. SaturdayKicking off Saturday, Aug. 5 at 2:30 p.m., the shorts program, Braving the Binary, is a set of colorful works about taking on rigid definitions of gender and embracing full self-expression. At 4:30 p.m., In a Good Way follows the tentative weekend reunion of a couple who are curious to find whether the new versions of themselves can make it work in a way their old selves could not.  At 6:45 p.m., Ties That Bind is a collection of shorts that explore the many tastes and predilections—some like it quirky, some like it dark—that make up the world of kink and create community. At 9:00 p.m., A secret screening provides a sneak peek at a new documentary on the world of BDSM and power exchange, with a special emphasis on female domination and male submission. SundayThe final day of the festival, Sunday, Aug. 6, starts at 1:00 p.m. with This Is Where I Get Off, a tribute to the life of late filmmaker, Charles Lum, a much-loved member of the queer and movie communities, whose works defied the taboos and stigmas of sex, sex in public places, and sex with HIV.  At 3:00 p.m., Make It Work features shorts that move beyond the tropes, taking a closer look at those whose work just happens to involve sex.   And at 5:00 PM, CineKink's annual showcase, Bring It!, rounds out the festival with 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 endeavors.  CineKink NYC concludes the evening of Sunday, Aug. 6 at 8:00 p.m., with the CineKink awards and wrap party, which includes a presentation of the annual festival awards, and offers one last chance for festival-goers to mingle in a relaxed, backyard setting.  For more information on CineKink, visit the CineKink website.  Tickets to in-person CineKink NYC screenings are $20, $15 for students and seniors, and $12 for CineKink members. Only individuals 18 and older may attend. Tickets may be purchased via Elevent.A limited number of CineKink NYC All-Access packages, covering admission to all in-person screenings, parties, and any virtual screenings, are available for $125, $90 for students and seniors, and $75 for CineKink members.  COVID Precautions• Quality masks/respirators (N95, K95, KF94) are required at all screenings when not actively eating or drinking. CineKink will have some on hand to give to anyone who does not bring one. • The theater, The Wild Project, has upgraded its HVAC with MERV13 filtration, and additional air purifiers will be brought in for the festival.• CineKink asks that anyone feeling sick stay at home and will offer full refunds in that instance.