5th San Francisco Sex Worker Film and Arts Festival

A Week of Activities at a Very Stimulating San Francisco Sex Worker Cultural Festival
by Carol Leigh


The San Francisco Sex Worker Festival was established in 1999 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. 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. The 2007 Fest highlights a ground breaking exhibit, "We, Asian Sex Workers" featuring artists including Elizabeth Sy, Reagan Louie and Tracy Quan, curated by Gennifer M. Hirano at Ar+Space Gallery. 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; Asian Princess AKA Gennifer M. Hirano; Shawna Virago; Reginald M. Lamar Simon de la Ghetto; Ginger Virago; Julep; Kirk Read; Sadie Lune; EcstaScene; the fabulous DJ Bent direct from DC; 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. "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. "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; 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 Background
From artists' models to muses, from hetaira 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.

Event: The 5th San Francisco Sex Worker Film and Arts Festival presented by Desiree Alliance, BAYSWAN, COYOTE, SWOP-USA
Dates: July 14th-22nd
Media Contacts: (415) 751-1659
Festival Information Line: (415) 861-1157
Festival Co-Directors: Carol Leigh (AKA Scarlot Harlot) and Erica Berman (AKA Fabulous)
Producers: Carol Leigh, Erica Berman, Madeline Lowe, Justina Because and Annie Danger
Prices: Movie Day Pass $50.00; Event prices vary-see website
Website: http://www.sexworkerfest.com
Schedule: See schedule at
http://www.sexworkerfest.com/swfest2007/schedule07.htm
Locations: Roxie Cinema, 3117 16 St., SomArts Gallery 934 Brannan Street, ARSPACE 1286 Folsom and others. Plus, "Roaming Hooker Fest" locations TBA.


Schedule: Updates at http://www.sexworkerfest.com/swfest2007/schedule07.htm
July 14th-SWOP-USA School For Johns and Lap-Dance Benefit and Graduation Party (Locations TBA)
July 15th-7-9 PM ‘We, Asian Sex Workers’ Opening at Ar+Space, plus gallery hours all the week (1286 Folsom)
July 17th- Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP-USA) National Conference and Action
July 18th-St. James Infirmary Sex Worker Skill Share (Location TBA); 7-9PM ‘We, Asian Sex Workers’ Immigration Panel at AR+Space
July 19th 8 PM, 10:30 PM ‘Natural Born Hooker,’ a play by Konrad Product starring Aaron Orr at Counterpulse 1310 Mission
July 19th & 20th-Desiree Alliance West Coast Convergence (a sex worker conference at the Women’s Building 3543 18t St. See desireealliance.org)
July 20th-Roaming Hookerfest films projected at outdoor (Locations TBA)
July 21st-12noon-2 am Sex Worker Movies at the Roxie (3117 16th Street)
July 22nd-11am-2PM ‘Sex On Wheels’ Barbary Coast Historical Dramatized Bicycle Tour (Meet at Main library, Fulton Street)
July 22nd- 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, Asian Princess AKA Gennifer M. Hirano, Sadie Lune, Julep, Ginger Virago, historical vignettes from “Sex on Wheels’ by Jennifer Worley, Kirk Read, Scarlot Harlot, Mattilda AKA Matt Bernstein Sycamore, Ecstascene, Lady Monster and Wendy Vinagrette.