PorYes


PorYes is an initiative of sex-positive feminists that advocates for feminist criteria in pornography and honors outstanding depictions of sexuality. Since 2009, the PorYes Award has been held every two years as a feminist European porn film prize in Berlin. The PorYes awards were created as a feminist counter-action to the Venus Awards, a Berlin-based mainstream porn festival.
The PorYes movement developed criteria based on principles from women's movements: sex-positive representations of lust of all genders, women are desired at all levels of the production process, consensus of all those involved in production and diversity in the representations: both the performers and the demonstration of diverse sexual expressions. Instead of calling for censorship of sexist mainstream pornography, PorYes encourages the production of feminist porn.
The name PorYes alludes to the PorNO campaign, which called for a ban on pornography. The film award ceremony is supported by media outlets including taz, Missy Magazine, Filmlöwin and AvivA. The partner projects include Pro Familia and the Berlin Porn Film Festival. Aktion Mensch and Urania as well as the HAU theater also support the project.
WWW Official Site

Aim

The festival initiators wanted to revolutionize mainstream porn industries; the initiators of the award wanted to establish PorYes as a certificate to differentiate "the typical, largely sexist and cliché porn from the women- and human-oriented sex-positive porn productions." They have tried to set certain standards of artificial and representative integrity by promoting feminist porn movies. For the PorYes jury, it is especially important that female desire and pleasure is an essential part of the movie, whereas "in mainstream porn the women often look weary and worn out, as if they come from an area of conflict." Porn awarded by PorYes should ideally show more varieties of female desire than mainstream porn does. Moreover, the movies should not lead straightly, or care mainly about, the male orgasm. It is the aim of the awards to show sex-positive depictions of all genders and to celebrate the variety of sexual orientations and bodies.

Background

The sex-positive movement emerged from women’s movements of the 1970’s. In the context of pornography, sex-positivity advocates for “ women's right to explore their bodies, sexual desire, and considers that sexual violence does not have to prevent the vindication of female desire.” Although there were many campaigns against porn, for example the famous PorNo campaign of the popular German feminist Alice Schwarzer in 1987, the sex-positivity movement has provided alternative solutions to the feminist issues raised in such campaigns. PorYes also states that "a sex-positive stance often grew out of, or even concurrently shaped, an antipornographic stance."
A demographic shift in the porn market has also led to new considerations for the pornography industry. New research also shows a new interest of women in porn movies within the last 30 years. Furthermore, there has been a rise in categories such as “female friendly” and “woman friendly” on porn streaming platforms. One proposed reason for this shift is a recent change in sexual morality, which influences the sexual behavior of women. However, PorYes states that this does not "change the fact that the majority of leading products are produced under unethical work conditions, often at the cost of the environment." So, PorYes set certain criteria for feminist porn films to inform the public and support discussion around these topics.

Criteria

PorYes has created certain criteria for feminist porn movies.
  • A sex-positive attitude, with no misogynistic acts or portrayals of actors.
  • Portrayal of lust and pleasure, focus on female lust and its diversity
  • A variety of body types, ages, genders, sexual orientations and ethnic backgrounds
  • Roles in collusion with those involved / emphasis on enthusiastic consent
  • Ethical work conditions and safe sex is encouraged
  • Those involved will be shown in relation to one another – eye/skin/hand/body contact and energy exchange.
  • Emotions and declarations of love are encouraged
  • Variations of sexual practices
  • Authentic sound recordings or music; no gender-stereotypical amplified dubbing of moaning
  • Orgasms must not be the sole goal of the interaction; a rejection of the classic sexual response cycle
  • FLINTA* are significantly involved in the production of the film as producers, directors, or camera women

PorYes Academy

At the end of the PorYes Award ceremony, participants are invited to attend PorYes Academy, a one day workshop that brings in academics and professionals from porn studies, feminist studies, and other adjacent fields. The education component of the event is intended to spark conversations and inspire others to incorporate a feminist/sex-positive ethic into their own work. Some examples of lectures from PorYes Academy include: Porn Studies pioneer, Linda Williams; feminist philosopher, Mari Mikkola; feminist academic, Mireille Miller-Young; legal scholar, Anja Schmidt.

Initiator

The PorYes Awards is primarily arranged by the Freudenfluss Network, which is an open network of adults of different genders, ages and sexual orientations and with the goal to promote sex-positivity and sexual communication. The network was founded by PorYes co-initiators Polly Fannlaf and Laura Méritt. A major supporting organization is Sexclusivitäten, a women-owned feminist sex shop in Berlin. Sexclusivitäten offers online shopping, private consultations, and weekly workshop which are often centered around pleasure, communication, and political engagement. Sexclusivitäten characterizes itself as "the first women-oriented sex-business and the sexual communication center of Europe". The owner of the shop, Laura Méritt, has a PhD in the science of social communication and wide experience as a sexologist. She calls herself a "sex-worker" or "sex-expert". She also founded a lesbian escort service in Berlin.

Awardees

NameCountryDescription
Catherine BreillatFranceAuthor, filmmaker and actress; international pioneer in the depiction of female sexuality. She has acted in “The Last Tango of Paris”, participated in the film script of “Bilitis” to considerable degree and also gained her vocational reputation as an author and director of socio-critical erotic themes such as “Romance”, “A ma soeur” or “Sex is comedy”, “Pornokratie”. More often than not, she turns her self-authored novels into films, always centering on sexuality as a means of finding one's own identity.
Rusty CaveUKLondon-based filmmaker who had been the first European to present “100 per cent lesbian Eroticism,” and she took this with the usual English sense of humour. Her sex comedies show lustfully invulved women in witty scenarios – as in “Knock Knock” and “Madam & Eve.”
SwedenShe has called for “Feminist Short Porns”, accompanied by a manifesto, she has collected a bundle of all genders and sexualites that is both colourful and convincing. A special feature is: Dirty Diaries had been supported by the Swedish government!
Emilie JouvetFranceShe has celebrated her debut in the sex-positive film scene with “One Night Stand” whilst “Too much Pussy” is a documentation of a European X-road-show of female sex-activists.

NameCountryDescription
Buck AngelUSAThe man with the pussy is an absolute pioneer not only for the trans-community: as the first ever transporn actor who gained significant recognition, he knows the conservative sex industry and understands how difficult it is to land alternative roles outside the fetish- and freak categories. As a result, he campaigns for the trans-community and their sexuality, and fights for pussy power. His movies „Sexing the transmen“ are completely supportive documentary porn movies in which he pleads for sexuell diversity and self-determination.
Jennifer Lyon BellNetherlandsHer specialty is slow-sex as well as a realistic and pleasurable representation of sexuality with a focus on female pleasure. She captures the changes of the skin during sexual stimulation with her camera and so shares unusual and extraordinary perspectives that are demonstrated by teachers and sexologists alike. Her highly intelligent porn movies support sexual communication while also toying with the roles of the actors and the audiences.
Goodyn GreenDenmark, GermanyIn her movies, the Danish photographer who lives in Berlin offers queer erotic in a highly aesthetic and artistic way. By showing sexually strong people and thematizing androgyny and masculinity, she contributes to the sex-positive education.
Jiz LeeUSAQueer porn star whose personality simply defies all gender boundaries. They distinguished themself as a porn star in „The Crash Pad“ by Shine Louise Houston as well as in several other sex-positive and alternative erotic movies. In the meantime, they also revolutionized more straight porn movies through their presence. They work as the marketing director for Pink & White Productions, and is a professional porn performer.
Gala VantingAustraliaGala Vanting is an erotic imaginist, movie producer, sex worker, BDSM enthusiast, and sex teacher, as well as a full-time pleasure activist. Her feminist concern is the democratization of sexiness, the sex positive access to education as well as the right to pleasure for everyone, regardless of her/his background. Using slow porn and sensate films, she offers sophisticated choices with an intellectual stimulation.

NameCountryDescription
Loree EricksonCanadaQueer femmegimp Porn Academic and activist whose research brings creativity and theory together. With her personal experience as a disabled person she explores issues of sexual self-representation, embodiment and identity. Want is her sex-positive reflection on sites of shame as resistance for people with dis_abilities.
Sadie LuneGermany, USAAmerican born Berlin based multimedia artist, sex worker and pleasure activist. She took part in a variety of films and performances, exhibited explicit whore-positive work in museums, and shown her cervix internationally. She pushes boundaries in a sex-positive informing way and shows us how far and well different sex practices can go.
Adina PintileRomaniaExploring our bodies and sexualities beyond common norms and beauty standards makes us broaden our horizons and overcome restricting limitations. Stereotypes are questioned and intimacy is reclaimed with the power of open minds and bold honesty. Even – or especially people with disabilities are leading the way.
Dwayne YungGermanyWriter, performer and video artist exploring issues of race and identity from a queer Chinese-Canadian perspective. He reveals how our views on sexuality are impregnated by prejudices in a fun and loving way.
Nan KinneyUSAProducer and director of Fatale Media, which made the first porn films by and for women in the late 80s. She also co-founded the first and legendary lesbian sex magazine On our backs with Deborah Sundahl and Susie Bright. Nan brought self-defined "lesbian sex" into mainstream porn and taught women* how to don a strap-on. Bend over Boyfriend became an international bestseller.
Anna BrownfieldAustraliaIn her movie The Band the directress Anna Brownfield citically discuses the male-dominated music industry and conventionalizes the attributed potency of the musicians with cutting irony. At the same time female characters including groupies are represented as equally powerful, as they know exactly how to satisfy their desires.