Happy June to you!
I hope things are going well for you all this month! I have to confess that I'm feeling pretty stressed out at the moment -- I'm about to start traveling, some for fun and some to promote the Foundation. (YAY!) But at the same time, we're preparing for the next round of grants, and I'm only going to be home for less than 3 weeks out of the next 8. (EEK!)
This month I wanted to offer you a sneak peek from ( ) ("whole"), the experimental queer erotic film that received one of our pilot grants. The Effing Foundation is officially Executive Producer! (Can I even? Once again: No, I cannot even.)
The ( ) crew has been shooting in Philadelphia this week thanks to your Effing donations! Check out the amazing cast:
From left, performers the Shape, Alice the Wolf, Ginny Woolf, Shay Knox, Parts Authority, Trouble Clef, Erykah Ohms, Evie Snax, Papi Femme, and Special Guest, shooting "Opening Sequence" for AORTA films' ( ). This film is made possible by a grant from the Effing Foundation!
( ) is a collaboration between queer/feminist porn collective AORTA films and performance company the A.O. Movement Collective (the AOMC) under the direction of Mahx Capacity. I will never forget the day I called to invite the ( ) team to submit a grant application. "This is the phone call you never think you'll get!" Mahx exclaimed. Why? Raising funds for this kind of film can be really tough: the fact that ( ) explicitly addresses human sexuality, especially queer sexuality, means that it's just too "out there" for most arts funding organizations.
Why does this film matter? As Mahx says,
"Intended as a recalibration of pleasure in a time when so many individuals feel depleted, isolated, angry, and full of despair, ( ) attempts to rekindle the spark of hedonism and joy at the center of the queer survival. ( ) investigates the complexity of pleasure, exploring the so-called obscenity of bodies in their most tremendous capacity—their glorious, illicit humanity."
Because of your support, ( ) will celebrate, uplift, and inspire queer people across the globe. We can hardly wait for the premiere at The Invisible Dog in early 2019!
Given my hectic travel schedule, I'm planning to take a newsletter break in July and be back in August (hopefully with news about our next cycle of grant applications). Between now and then, you can find me at:
- PolyDallas Millennium (July 12-15)
- HOPE XII (July 20-22)
- Woodhull's Sexual Freedom Summit (August 2-5)
Thank you again for joining me on this amazing journey.
Peace,
Kit Stubbs, Ph.D.
Founder & Executive Director