Edgy AVN Award-winning pro-am director Joe Gallant has opted out of his contract with Hustler/VCA and is looking for a new production company with which to align his Black Mirror Productions.
The New York-based Gallant told AVN.com he resigned in an e-mail sent last weekend to the Hustler brass.
“I guess you could say it’s a case of east coast versus west coast sensibilities,” Gallant said in a telephone interview from his New York residence. “I’m used to doing things in a little more edgy manner out here in New York.”
Gallant’s one-year contract, which had escape clauses for both sides, called for him to deliver nine titles. At the time of his resignation, he had given Hustler/VCA three — Contract Girl, which he shot for Black Mirror before he signed the deal and then sold to them, and Ultra Vixens NYC and Killing Courtney Luv, fresh titles he shot for Hustler/VCA. Ultra Vixens streeted Aug. 9, while Killing Courtney Luv is scheduled to street Sept. 20, both for VCA.
Hustler's Dustin Flynt, vice president of administration of LFP Video Group, echoed Gallant's sentiments that the two sides were not a match.
"Given the new creative direction that LFP Video Group is taking the VCA brand, Mr. Gallant chose to pursue other opportunities, recognizing that his style of filmmaking didn't fit those new directions," Flynt said. "We wish him the best of luck and appreciate his contribution to our product line."
Gallant has twice won AVN’s Best Pro-Am Release award, first in 2003 for NYC Underground: Times Square Trash Vol. 2, then earlier this year for The Luv Generation, both from Black Mirror. His work is seen by some critics as revitalizing the pro-am genre and is characterized by story lines and healthy amounts of peeing, enemas and all manner of substances being spewed out of anuses.
Gallant is now actively looking to bring Black Mirror to another large Porn Valley production company.
“Ideally, I’d like to be the New York director for any forward-thinking company,” Gallant said, but emphasized he’d be willing to relocate to California, especially if he could be based in the Bay Area.
“My soul is sobbing for San Francisco,” said Gallant, who is also a professional rock musician whose orchestra, Illuminati, has re-envisioned the music of the Grateful Dead among other recordings.
