UPDATE: Shine Louise Houston's IndieGoGo campaign can be found here. The campaign has already reached 43 percent of its goal, with 24 days left to donate.
SAN FRANCISCO—After a previous success in the same milieu, director Shine Louise Houston of Pink & White Productions has once again decided to crowdfund her next adult film project, Chemistry Eases the Pain. The campaign, set to launch Friday, February 1, is the second time the company will bring crowdfunding strategies into its production efforts, encouraged by the success of its previously crowdfunded film, Snapshot.
Crowdfunding invites audiences to sign up for and enjoy fun perks, while affording Houston complete artistic control with a budget for a larger production. Snapshot enjoyed a global indie festival run and received multiple awards, while its campaign garnered positive press coverage in Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, and PBS Media Shift, among others. Shortly after, Houston was highlighted in The New York Times. Undoubtedly, her career has been elevated in part from inviting audience support to bring her unique visions to life.
And now she’s ready to do it again.
Chemistry Eases the Pain stars Lotus Lain as Frankie, a staunchly lesbian-identified college student who finds herself attracted to a straight male classmate Matt, played by Michael Vegas. The film explores sexual identity in Houston's original, humorous, and refreshingly earnest style.
“I’m very excited to be able to portray a bi-curious, not-so-femme lesbian in porn—that’s rare!” Lotus explained. “Which is what I appreciate about Shine’s storytelling with roles for those of us outside of the mainstream lens. I connected with the character and her circumstances so I’m excited to inject some of my personal experiences into the development of Frankie's character.”
Living porn legend Nina Hartley stars as Frankie’s mother. “Shine and her amazing crew continue to create real, vibrant, meaningful sexually explicit media and it’s only getting better,” predicted Hartley. “I am excited beyond measure to work with her again and can’t wait to see what she has in store.”
Additional stars include Mona Wales, Emperatrix, Valentine, Nicki Honey, and a cameo by non-binary rocker Jack Strano of Sugar High Glitter City fame.
The campaign is supported by prominent community leaders, including scholars Linda Williams and Dr. Mireille Miller-Young, filmmaker Cheryl Dunye and advocates Nenna Joiner, Madeline Lim, Tobi Hill-Meyer, and attorney Alex Austin. Sex positive companies Good Vibrations, Feelmore, Oh Joy Sex Toy, and others join perks like walk-on cameos and names credited in the film.
Those interested may sign-up on the crowdfunding pre-launch page to receive the special launch email announcement on Friday, February 1.
