CineKink announced the award winners for its 2023 festival, marking the 20th anniversary of "the kinky film festival." The event featured its first in-person screenings since before the pandemic, alongside virtual offerings scheduled for late September.

CineKink NYC/2023 Concludes with Awards

NEW YORK, NY; August 17, 2023 – CineKink NYC/2023 concluded its multiple days of screenings with a celebration announcing the festival's award winners. This edition marked the 20th anniversary of CineKink, described as "the kinky film festival."

The festival's 2023 iteration was notable for being the first to host in-person screenings since before the pandemic, with several COVID precautions implemented. In addition to the physical event, CineKink plans to make much of its 2023 line-up available online through virtual offerings in late September.

Lisa Vandever, co-founder and director of CineKink, expressed satisfaction with the festival's return to in-person gatherings for its 20th anniversary. She also acknowledged the quality of works presented to celebrate this milestone, extending congratulations and thanks to all participating filmmakers, not just the award winners.

Audience Choice and "Bring It!" Awards

The Audience Choice Awards for CineKink 2023 recognized several films across different categories. For Best Narrative Feature, the award went to In A Good Way, directed by Zachary Gutierrez and Joshua LaBure. This Is Where I Get Off, directed by Todd Verow, received the award for Best Experimental Feature. An Honorable Mention in the Audience Choice category was presented to Rough Edges, directed by Charles Lyons.

The annual CineKink "Bring It!" award, determined by audience vote during a showcase of current adult cinema, was awarded to Bang Click Bang. This film was directed by Paulita Pappel and Rod Wyler.

Juried Awards in Shorts Competition

In the shorts competition, juried festival awards were presented across multiple categories. For Best Comedy Short, there was a tie between Down For Dee, directed by Ximena Alvarez, and Good Girl, directed by Katia Koziara. Sofie Olins' Make Me A King also received a juried award in the shorts competition.

Another tie occurred in the Best Documentary Short category, with awards going to Krush The Wrestler, directed by Alex Megaro, and More Than A Feeling, directed by Dave Quantic. The award for Best Experimental Short was presented to State of Mind, directed by Donald C. Shorter Jr.

Honorable Best Mention awards in the shorts competition were given to Oral History by Vaughn Trudeau, Our Language is Chaos by Cory Byam, and Safe Word by Christopher Cune.

Key Facts

  • CineKink announced award winners for its 2023 festival on August 17, 2023.
  • The 2023 festival marked the 20th anniversary of CineKink.
  • It was the first time CineKink held in-person screenings since before the pandemic.
  • Virtual screenings of the 2023 line-up are scheduled for late September.
  • Lisa Vandever is the co-founder and director of CineKink.
  • Audience Choice Awards included Best Narrative Feature for In A Good Way and Best Experimental Feature for This Is Where I Get Off.
  • The "Bring It!" award went to Bang Click Bang.
  • Juried awards for shorts included ties for Best Comedy Short and Best Documentary Short.