The 5th San Francisco Sex Worker Film and Arts Festival presented
by Desiree Alliance, BAYSWAN, COYOTE and SWOP-USA
Sponsored by: San Francisco Bay Times, Shake Radio: America's
LGBT Radio Talk Show, Spread Magazine, Film Arts Foundation, Media
Alliance, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Other Magazine,
Bound Not Gagged, TrannyFest, BigMuscle.com, RentBoy.com and Toys
in Babeland
July
14th-22nd
Festival Information Line: (415) 861-1157
Prices: Roxie Movie Day Pass $35.00; All Movie Pass, Roxie and
ArSpace $45.00; Festival Pass- Movies and Parties $75- Event prices
vary-see website
Website: http://www.sexworkerfest.com
Schedule: See schedule below and at
http://www.sexworkerfest.com/swfest2007/schedule07.htm
Summary:
The San Francisco Sex Workers Festival was established in 1999.
This year the response from sex workers has been greater than
ever before. The 2007 Festival includes a number of contributions
from male artists including Konrad Product's 'Natural Born Hooker,'
as well as 'Dis Closure: The Hearts and Minds of Gay Male Escorts,'
from Jeff Ball at machosissy.com. Another ground breaking exhibit
is 'We, Asian Sex Workers,' curated by Gennifer M. Hirano, asian
princess at AR+SPACE. SWOP-USA's 'School for Johns,' offers a
stimulating day for all who are curious, culminating in a Lap-Dance
Graduation Party (everyone invited) with special guest, Margo
St. James. 'Sex on Wheels' presents a historical dramatized bike
tour co-sponsored by the SF Bike Coalition. The Film Festival
at the Roxie features a number of San Francisco Premieres including
Railroad Allstars and Frau Mercedes. The 2007 Festival is held
in conjunction with the Desiree Alliance San Francisco West Coast
Convergence (a sex worker conference) taking place at The Women's
Building, July 19th and 20th.
Full Version:
The San Francisco Sex Worker Festival was established to provide
a forum for the accomplishments of sex worker artists and filmmakers
and to show work about sex workers and sex industries from around
the world. The Sex Worker Festival provides an opportunity to
recognize and honor prostitutes, dancers, porn performers and
other sex workers who have historically been a dynamic part of
arts communities. The Festival includes performance events, parties
and art exhibitions as well as screenings. The 2007 Festival is
held in conjunction with the Desiree Alliance San Francisco West
Coast Convergence, a sex worker conference, taking place at The
Women's Building July 19th and 20th.This year marks our 5th biennial
event and the response by sex workers has been greater than ever
before. The 2007 Fest highlights a ground breaking exhibit, "We,
Asian Sex Workers" featuring artists including Banteay Srei,
Reagan Louie, Mariko Passion, Ivy, Annie Chen, Surgeon Scofflaw
and Tracy Quan, work submitted by COSWAS (Taiwan) and Ziteng (Hong
Kong) curated by Gennifer M. Hirano, asian princess at Ar+Space
Gallery.Unique to this year is a response from men working in
the industry. We are featuring a number of their works including
a live performance of Konrad Product's play "Natural Born
Hooker," about his own experience as a hustler as a benefit
for the St. James Infirmary at Counterpulse; an installation by
Jeff Ball (machosissy.com) "Dis Closure: The Hearts and Minds
of Gay Male Escorts;" as well as a panel of male artists
in sex work which also features Kirk Read, Reginald M Lamar and
Mattilda a.k.a. Matt Bernstein Sycamore at the Desiree Alliance
Convergence.We are presenting the "Lick My Kitty: Kitty Kastro
Memorial Cabaret," dedicated to Kitty, who recently died
in a traffic accident and who had been the emcee for our cabarets
since the first Sex Worker Festival in 1999. Festival performers
include: emcee Annie Danger; Mariko Passion; Shawna Virago; Reginald
M. Lamar, Simon de la Getto; Ginger Virago; Julep; Kirk Read;
Sadie Lune; EcstaScene; Lady Monster and more.
The Festival will take place from July 14th-22nd, with films at
the Roxie including: "Otras Vias" about Latin American
immigrant prostitutes in Germany who emerge from their stereotypes
as 'helpless victims' to discuss the possibilities of resistance
in their everyday lives. Karen Gehres' "Begging Naked"
which allows a glimpse at the effects of Guiliani's repressive
sex industry polices on one woman's life as she survives homelessness,
drug addiction, prostitution, mental illness, all in the context
of her incredible life as an artist; and "The Railroad Allstars,"
(2006) by Producer/Director Chema Rodriguez, in which three Guatemalan
prostitutes establish a football team to publicize the condition
of their lives in "La Linea."Launching the week will
be an all day seminar 'School for Johns,' finishing up with a
Lap-Dance Graduation Party Benefit at night presented by SWOP-USA.
The "Roaming Hookerfest," a traveling outdoor caravan
of sex workers, will be bringing films to the street via outdoor
projection with a Hookerfest Afterparty featuring the fabulous
DJ Bent direct from DC."Sex on Wheels" presents a dramatized
historical tour of the Barbary Coast on bicycles! This year's
festival also includes the Desiree Alliance West Coast Convergence
at the Women's Building with topics from academia to activism,
as well as many, many more exciting events.
See our in-progress calendar to get an idea of additional events
at http://www.sexworkerfest.com/swfest2007/schedule07.htm
This
year we dedicate our Festival to the memory of Kitty Kastro, who
has been with the Festival since 1999, who died this year in a
traffic accident, as well as three other sex worker activist/artists
who have participated in a number of festivals: Heather McAllister,
founder of Fat Bottom Review (Big Burlesque), who died after a
long struggle with cancer; Duran Ruiz, long time activist, painter
and writer who suffered from kidney failure; Andy Dill, a beautiful,
generous sex worker and supporter of the St. James Infirmary,
who passed from a brief, sudden illness this year and Guan Xiou
Qin of COSWAS, the first sex worker leader of the movement for
the rights of prostitutes in Taipei who committed suicide as a
culmination of her struggles fighting the new repressive approach
to prostitution in Taiwan.
Sex Worker Festival BackgroundFrom artists' models to muses, from
hetaera to geishas, sex workers have been vital participants in
arts communities through the centuries. Despite their influence
on the arts and culture, polite societies rarely acknowledge the
contributions of the demimonde who have also been painters and
poets themselves. A growing number are working in contemporary
media, film and video, and performing in solo, ensemble theater
and in burlesque revues.The San Francisco Sex Workers Festival
was established in 1999 to provide a forum for the accomplishments
of sex worker film and video makers and to screen works by and
about sex workers and the sex industries from around the world.
The Sex Worker Festivals have screened nearly two hundred works
and generated much interest from the media. In addition, the festival
presents performances and events. The Sex Worker Fest promotes
sex worker rights, community building, outreach, as well as educational
and cultural empowerment.Over the past decade, sex worker art
and culture festivals have sprouted up around the globe from Calcutta
to Israel to Taiwan to Montreal, from Portland to Cleveland and
Arizona. Sex worker film, art and performance events span the
globe, chronicling contemporary sexual politics and mores with
a vision that penetrates our hypocrisies.The Sex Worker Festival
has screened nearly two hundred films since 1999. Films focus
on: sex; prostitutes' rights; organizing efforts and working conditions
for strippers; more sex; global sex work and sex work as a labor
issue on the international agenda; sex workers as heroes and heroines;
sex workers as saints; sex workers as jerks and perverts; sex
work and gender identities; queer sex workers; sex education;
sex art; sex panic; sexual orientation; sexual identity; porn
and erotica; portraits of strippers, prostitutes, doms, madams
and much more.
Schedule
July 14th-Saturday- 10-6 School For Johns at The Power Exchange,
74 Otis St. 7 PM-?, SWOP Lap-Dance Benefit and John's School Graduation
Party at Sweeties, 475 Francisco St.
July 15th-Sunday-7-9 PM 'We, Asian Sex Workers' Opening at Ar+Space,
plus gallery hours all the week (1286 Folsom)
July 16-17th-Monday and Tuesday- Sex Workers Outreach Project
(SWOP-USA) National Conference, Anti racism/Anti-oppression Diversity
Training and Action
July 18th-Wednesday-St. James Infirmary Sex Worker Skill Share
(NOT at the Infirmary-Location TBA); 7-9PM 'We, Asian Sex Workers'
Immigration Panel at AR+Space
July 19th-Thursday- 8 PM, 10:30 PM 'Natural Born Hooker,' a play
by Konrad Product starring Aaron Orr at Counterpulse 1310 Mission.
Benefit for St. James Infirmary.
July 19th & 20th- Thursday & Friday-Desiree Alliance West
Coast Convergence (a sex worker conference at the Women's Building
3543 18t St. -See desireealliance.org)
July 20th-Friday-Roaming Hookerfest films projected at outdoor
(Locations TBA)
July 21st-Saturday-12noon-2 am Sex Worker Movies at the Roxie
(3117 16th Street)
July 22nd-Sunday-11am-2PM 'Sex On Wheels' Barbary Coast Historical
Dramatized Bicycle Tour (Meet at Main library, Fulton Street)
July 22nd Sunday 3-5PM, Tour of the St. James Infirmary and Exhibit
MachoSissy presents Dis Closure: The Hearts and Minds of Gay Male
Escorts, 1372 Mission Street
July 22nd-Sunday- 8PM-Midnight Lick My Kitty: Kitty Kastro Memorial
Cabaret at SOMARTS (934 Brannan Street) with Emcee Annie Danger,
featuring Shawna Virago, Simone de la Getto, Reginald M. Lamar,
Gennifer M. Hirano, asian princess., Sadie Lune, Julep, Ginger
Virago, historical vignettes from "Sex on Wheels' by Jennifer
Worley, Kirk Read, Scarlot Harlot, Mattilda AKA Matt Bernstein
Sycamore, Dee Dee Russell, Lady Monster and Wendy Vinaigrette.
We, Asian Sex Workers Schedule
Saturday 7/14 8pm: “Asian Prostitute Sensitivity Training”
Sunday 7/15 7pm: Opening Reception with performances by Surgeon
Scofflaw and Mariko Passion
Wednesday 7/18 7pm: Migrant Sex Work Panel
8pm Urban Justice Center presents “Taking the Pledge”
USAID money, anti-prostitution pledges and migrant sex work presentation/discussion
9pm Melissa Gira: Report Back from Cambodia
Friday 7/20 7pm: Asian Sex Worker Film FestFestival Co-Directors:
Carol Leigh (AKA Scarlot Harlot) and Fabulous.
Producers: Carol Leigh, Fabulous, Madeline Lowe, Justina Because
and Annie Danger
Festival Co-ordinators: Tess Trueheart and Valerie Feldman
Curators: Fabulous and Justina Because
Locations: Roxie Cinema, 3117 16 St., SomArts Gallery 934 Brannan
Street, Sweeties 475 Francisco Street, The Power Exchange, 74
Otis and AR+SPACE 1286 Folsom, The Women's Building. Plus, "Roaming
Hooker Fest" outdoor locations TBA.About Festival founder
and Co-director-Carol Leigh AKA Scarlot HarlotCarol Leigh has
been a sex worker and activist since the late seventies when she
coined the term "sex worker" in 1979. Leigh is webmistress
at Prostitutes Education Network http://www.bayswan.org/penet.html,
the most extensive sex worker rights site on the web. Leigh was
seated on the San Francisco Board of Supervisor's Task Force on
Prostitution representing San Francisco's Commission on the Status
of Women. She won many awards for her videos including three at
the American Film Institute. She teaches multimedia production
at several schools in the Bay Area including the Center for Electronic
Arts. Last Gasp released Leigh's new book, Unrepentant Whore:
The Collected Work of Scarlot Harlot, Spring, 2004. Fabulous
Erica is a San Francisco native, activist, harm reductionist,
cab driver, and event producer.She is featured in the upcoming
movie 'Jaded Consumer Looking for Something More' and is half
of 'Waste Management Productions' a queer cabaret/drag revue production
company.Erica joined the Sex Worker Festival in 2005. An accomplished
producer and artist, Erica (AKA Fabulous) brought a new level
of professionalism and community participation to the project.
In 2007 she became Festival curator and, along with Justina Barron,
programmed one of the best programs since the 1999 Festival. Fabulous
is going to school to study healing arts and hopes someday to
help start a collectively run retreat space in the country for
hookers and witches.
