NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—Steve Grooby, owner of Grooby Productions, has been very excited for the past couple of months over the directorial debut of actress/producer Mona Wales, whose DVD series for Grooby Platinum finally debuted with Real Fucking Girls at Grey Studios in North Hollywood on Friday night—and a fair section of the trans world, not to mention a contingent of trans fans, was there to support the project. (For photos of the event, click here.)
The party started at about 7 p.m., and by showtime, at roughly 8:45, most of the guests were feeling no pain, having been plied with shotglasses of various liquors and snacks in the interim. But when Grooby Director of Publicity Kristal Penn brought Wales on to give an intro to the movie, the applause was broad and heartfelt.
"This movie was like a child I had with all of my best friends, and I just want to thank everyone for participating," Wales told the crowd of about 60. "It was a collaborative effort and I hope you enjoy it."
What attendees got to see was a roughly 40-minute-long edit of the 105-minute feature, which pairs trans women such as Aubrey Kate, Jane Starr, Kelli Lox, Natassia Dreams and Tori Mayes with cis women Amarna Miller, Bella Rossi, Daisy Ducati, Ella Nova and Simone Sonay. The DVD, which should available to purchase now, also includes a behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of the feature.
After the presentation, Wales and a panel of performers took questions from the audience—and at Wales' instigation, most shucked their tops and in some cases their entire wardrobe.
"So if you have any questions, or would like to see various body parts, just ask," Wales began.
In response to the question of what inspired her to make Real Fucking Girls, Wales stated, "A bunch of different things, but mostly my friend Kelly Klaymour, who was the production assistant, and we started making movies together and we just wanted to make something that reflected something closer to our reality."
The movie is based on the performers' real-life experiences.
"For me, my story really happened—and by 'really happened,' I mean I wanted it to happen and it did," said Jane Starr, who essayed a hot library scene with Amarna Miller. "I was in religious studies in college and I was doing a project and I remember I had to ask this really hot preppy girl, and I was like, 'Everyone in here is an idiot. We need to do this, obviously. Will you partner with me?' And she actually said, 'I don't know.' And I was like, 'Why don't you fucking take 24 hours to think about it, bitch?' And then she said 'Yes.' Did I want to bang her? Of course! But did it really happen? No. But did I have my imaginary revenge fuck? You saw it."
Starr went on to note that although the performers were given a basic outline of how the scene would progress, they were encouraged to ad lib their own dialog and, in most cases, their sexual positions.
"For an artist and a performer for many years, it's very rare that someone just gives you free rein to do whatever you want, whatever you feel, whatever turns you on; not just what angles you have to shoot; not just wherever the money shot has to be," said Natassia Dreams, who took partner Simone Sonay in a public bathroom. "That was a first for me as a performer for many years. Mona just said, 'Ladies, have fun; do whatever you want to do, do whatever you enjoy. I want to see what you like to do to have fun,' and that for me was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Several of the performers expresses similar sentiments.
"Having that freedom and knowing there was no pressure and I could be myself, that was such a different feeling," Starr added. "It kind of felt like, this is a big step for trans porn because it's always about, 'We want to see those bitches' cocks shooting cum like Niagara Falls,' and this time, it just showed us being girls, and the analogy I think of is, remember when all the porn you ever saw in your life, right before the guy came, they'd do a closeup of his face? ... And I was like, 'Whoa! Whoa! Don't do that. Stop doing that!' And then at some point, they did stop doing that."
"I feel that not holding transsexual porn up to the same standards that it has been held up to, and even taking it beyond that, is so important to the expansion of our industry and our reach, audience-wise," added Miller.
Several lauded the work of cis-director Belladonna, with Starr noting, "I remember I used to watch a lot of stuff with Belladonna. ... Suddenly I started seeing this girl whose tats crossed her chest—there was no tatted girls yet—and she was just suddenly doing all of these things at once, where she was like, 'Let's have someone in a bunny outfit. You know what, let's just put my foot in your pussy' Boom! They would just do all kinds of shit, and I was like, 'I've never seen that, and that's hot because I've never seen it. It's something different.'"
In fact, Wales admitted that the title of her feature was inspired by Belladonna's release Fucking Girls, which she described as Belladonna's "break-out thing."
"I made this DVD because, I mean, the majority of my work has actually been trans-lesbian scenes, not through any intention; it's just that's what happened; like femdom and trans-lesbian," Wales told the crowd.
Several others contrasted both straight porn with trans porn, and by-the-numbers trans porn with Wales' more freeform variety.
There were widespread calls for a Real Fucking Girls 2, but Wales cautiously responded, "I'd love to but the truth is, it depends on whether the market can support. It is a new project and we can only make another one if we prove that this alternative narrative is financially viable, so we gotta sell this movie."
The Q&A lasted about half an hour, after which the party broke up, leaving many of the attendees satisfied ... and a bit tipsy ... but all in a great cause.
