These are good times for Courtney Trouble, the San Francisco-based queer porn feminist pornographer/director/performer. And that means times are equally good for queer porn—a gender-fluid form of erotica that’s inextricably linked to Trouble.
Take Trouble’s accomplishments so far this year. In January, Trouble was among the first batch of performers to be nominated for one of AVN’s newest categories, BBW Performer of the Year. Then in April, Trouble flew to Toronto to give the closing keynote address at the second annual Feminist Porn Conference, which was followed by the Feminist Porn Awards, where Trouble won awards for Best Trans Film and Hottest Dyke Film.
Around the time those Feminist Porn Awards were bestowed, a historic deal was struck for Trouble to direct for Smash Pictures’ new imprint, Pink Velvet. This marks the first time a major adult studio will produce queer porn-themed films. In addition, Pure Play Media has signed on to distribute Trouble Films. These two developments will introduce mainstream audiences to the world Courtney has been capturing on film for more than 10 years.
“I think it’s amazing that Smash Pictures hired a queer porn director to make queer porn for the mainstream,” Trouble said. “They didn’t hire just anybody; they found the person who came up with it. I really respect that. They’re not trying to imitate me. They paid me to do what I do. So as long as that keeps happening I think we’ll all be happy.”
The meeting of the two worlds began when Smash approached Trouble’s friend and fellow performer Jiz Lee. Lee declined the offer but suggested that Smash turn to Trouble, who jumped at the opportunity. “The queer community looks out for each other and if we’re not ready for an opportunity we pass it along to our friends,” said Trouble. “We’re not catty or competitive here. We just kind of all take care of each other, which is really sweet. So Smash contacted me and said, ‘Hey, Jiz sent us your way. What do you think about running Pink Velvet?’ And we sort of agreed to do it one experiment at a time and see where it takes us.”
The first “experiment” is called San Francisco Lesbians, tentatively scheduled for an early September release on AEBN and Hustler TV, with the DVD release scheduled for early October. Trouble describes the film as autobiographical. In one scene, pairing a kitten (Minnie Scarlet) with a cougar (Simone Sonay), Trouble felt “trippy” when directing. “I felt Minnie was me when I moved to San Francisco 10 years ago, and I felt like Simone was me in 10 years because I’m the hot shot dyke who thinks they can fuck whoever they want. And when they were fucking each other on set I was thinking, ‘I styled them after me and they’re fucking each other.’ It was kind of a mindfuck; a memory of myself versus a future version of myself having sex with each other.”
San Francisco Lesbians also stars Daisy Ducati, Dylan Ryan, Samantha Nay, Kinky Gaga, Maxine Holloway, Ella Nova, Siouxsie Q and Trouble in various sexual scenarios where most of the key players involved use a make-believe hook-up app called SCISSR, for random lesbian trysts. While Trouble promises San Francisco Lesbians will have the same attention to detail, creativity and sweetness as previous Trouble Films projects, the filmmaker does acknowledge how important this first project for Smash is from both a mainstream and queer porn perspective.
Trouble declared that it is “absolutely critical that we start looking at porn in different ways, and start breaking down the formulas of how things are shot, where they’re going, and what they’re doing and who’s allowed to be a part of it.”
However critical it is for people to look at porn in a new way, Trouble is also aware that queer porn audiences are a “bit nervous” by the mainstream’s portrayal of them. “You never know if it’s going to be done right, if it’s going to be done with love and care. But I’ve seen the large straight audience out there responding really well to my work. I mean I think we’re in a different time and place where queerness is acceptable and interesting and part of everybody’s lives.”
In addition to Trouble’s new directorial duties at Smash, her own queer porn studio Trouble Films was recently added to the lineup of studios distributed by Pure Play Media.
“Pure Play Media is all about niche, which is huge right now and only continues,” said Adam H, vice president of Pure Play. “Our customers were asking me about Trouble Films’ extensive catalog of edgy, queer-oriented entertainment. I then reached out to Courtney to make an arrangement to provide my customers what they ask for. Trouble Films’ distribution deal with Pure Play Media is groundbreaking in that it makes it the first GLBT/queer-focused pornography studio to get picked up by a major distribution house.”
The distribution giant will be releasing most of the studio’s catalog (minus Live Sex Show, due to its fisting scene) and upcoming titles from Trouble Films. Planned for release in June is Fuckstyles 2, a sequel to Trans Girls. Later releases include Lesbian Curves 3 and Fucking Mystic, the latter starring Trouble’s current muse, Chelsea Poe. “She’s playing a Goth witch who puts the entire city of Oakland under an actual spell,” Trouble says. “The climax of the movie is a 20-person orgy/gangbang.”
With her new behind-the-scenes responsibilities Trouble also plans to keep performing and is excited that for the first time she is being paid to perform, with work coming in from mainstream adult. “This is like a huge victory,” Trouble said. Newly hired Evil Angel director Aiden Starr plans to film a scene with Trouble for an upcoming project.
“Courtney is an incredibly dynamic person who spans genres while retaining the integrity of her identity,” commented Starr. “She’s truly inspirational.”
April Flores, a close friend of Trouble’s and sometime co-star, agrees. “Courtney is a powerful force. Her endless drive and passion for her work are qualities that make her a successful business owner. I’m so proud of her. Her work reflects the future of society and the future of porn.”
“As long as I feel there’s a part of the industry that could use my own brand of fresh-faced optimistic pervertedness, I think I’ll perform, as long as there’s a place for me,” Trouble said. As a performer who happens to be a BBW, Trouble wants to be known as a plus-size performer doing mainstream and demands that AVN allow future BBW Performer of the Year winners the opportunity to go up on stage and collect their awards. “I can’t wait to see the BBW who wins the 2015 award go up on stage to get her trophy. And I hope it’s me.”
