Candida Royalle was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her pioneering work in women’s erotica by Carlyle Jansen, founder of woman-friendly erotic emporium Good For Her, based in Toronto, Canada. This award recognizes how Royalle’s work broke new ground for women as both erotic filmmakers and consumers of erotic products, and her work continues to pave the way for a new generation of women.
The world’s first Feminist Porn Awards were handed out June 1 in Toronto. The event was sponsored by Good For Her to celebrate female erotic directors revolutionizing porn. Three hundred guests from the U.S. and Canada attended the awards ceremony at a chic century-old hotel on Toronto’s west side.
“Good porn is a human right! Good For Her decided to establish these awards to recognize erotic filmmakers who are creating hot, sexy, woman-positive porn that makes women and couples feel good about themselves and about sex,” says organizer and Good For Her manager Chanelle Gallant
The event included a spirited roundtable, clips of the filmmaker’s recent work, and provocative discussion. Eleven “Emma awards” were handed out to both male and female filmmakers. Along with Candida Royalle, the roundtable included author/director Tristan Taormino; directors Dana Dane and Angela Phong; Jen Bowers, editor of Smut Magazine; and filmmaker Lola Davis, who will be directing a line of ethnic erotica for couples for Royalle’s Femme Productions.
Royalle also accepted an award for the Sexiest, Most Diverse Performers for Caribbean Heat, directed by Manuela Sabrosa for Femme Productions. Winning films were selected based on the presence of at least two out of three criteria: First, they demonstrate genuine female pleasure and women getting their fair share of pleasure; second, women had a substantial hand in creating the film—either as producers, directors, or cinematographers; third, the film expands the range of sexual expression for women. Plus, it has to be hot! The awards are named in honor of the pioneering, sex-positive feminist Emma Goldman.
Good For Her is Canada’s premier women-oriented sex toy shop, mail-order, and workshop centre. Good For Her provides quality sex toys, erotic and educational books, and DVDs that empower and celebrate the diversity of women’s, men’s, and couples’ sexuality. For more info about Good For Her, contact: Gallant at 416-939-1923, 416-588-0900, or email [email protected].
