NEW YORK—Rough Edges will be the "CineKink Season Opener" selection for the 20th-anniversary return of its film festival, CineKink NYC, running Aug 2 to 6.
Rough Edges will screen on Thursday, Aug. 3, 6:30 p.m. at The Wild Project, located at 195 E. Third St., New York, where the majority of the festival's screenings will also be held. Marking the first in-person screenings for CineKink since 2019, masks will be required for all in attendance.
Shot on location in San Francisco, the movie tells the story of a technical writer and a struggling artist who hook up at a BDSM club and their one-night stand evolves into a tentative arrangement in which they explore each other’s kinks and try to keep things casual. As they find each other more engaging than originally anticipated, the two begin to explore the possibilities of an open and unconventional relationship.
Directed by filmmaker Charles Lyons, the movie features compelling performances from lead actors Tim Huls and Phoebe Jones, playing a pair that is comfortable with physical intimacy, yet hesitant to reveal emotional vulnerability.
“Rough Edges perfectly illustrates the importance of representation on screen,” said Lisa Vandever, CineKink co-founder and director. “Rather than the sensationalism of some recent Hollywood takes, the portrayals will be very recognizable to anyone who has set foot in a BDSM club or worked at keeping a relationship open.”
“This sexy, edgy tour of kinky San Francisco has at its beating heart a deconstruction of modern love, intimacy, and fear,” said Dr. Carol Queen, executive director of the Center for Sex and Culture, where the script was originally workshopped. “Every step in the characters’ deepening connection made me feel more invested in their growing vulnerability and the actors' skill at representing what most movies leave unsaid and unshown.”
CineKink NYC festivities will kick off on Wednesday, Aug. 2, with a fundraising get-together. The festival will continue through Sunday, Aug. 6, concluding with an awards ceremony and closing party.
Virtual streaming of most festival selections will take place in an encore presentation the week following.
The full CineKink NYC schedule will be announced in early July and tickets will go on sale soon after.
For more information, visit CineKink.com.
Pictured: Tim Huls and Phoebe Jones.
