Petra Joy
Encyclopedia
Petra Joy is an award-winning German feminist film director
, film producer
, TV producer, distributor
, author
, and photographer. She lives in Brighton, England. Along with Candida Royalle
, Annie Sprinkle
, Maria Beatty
, and others, she is one of the pioneers of the movement to make pornography for women. Her genre is described as "art-core," meaning the focus is on sexuality from the female perspective, female pleasure, and creative, sensual play. Common themes in her erotic films include safe sex, men seen as sexual objects, female fantasies, and male bisexuality.
, National Geographic, and WDR. Since 1990, the main focus of her work has been lifestyle and sexuality
. A recurring topic was sexuality from a female perspective. Starting in 1992, she produced segments for “Liebe Sünde”, a programme about sex airing on the German satellite station Vox/Pro7.
In 2003, Joy launched Strawberry Seductress, an intimate and creative erotic photo service for women and couples and film production company. In 2004, Joy filmed Sexual Sushi, her first alternative pornographic film for women. Harper Collins published her book How to Make Your Own Adult Video: The Couple’s Guide to Making Sensual Home Movies in 2006. She then shot Female Fantasies and Feeling it, not faking it!. In 2009, Joy established the Petra Joy Award, an international erotic film competition for first-time female directors. She runs “how to make your own creative porn” workshops and speaks on the subject of women and pornography
across Europe. Joy curates and produces a feminist porn series called Her Porn and has shot a documentary called The Joy of Porn: My Life as a Feminist Pornographer.
Of her first erotic film, Sexual Sushi, one reviewer wrote, “Petra has achieved her aim of creating an antidote to ‘porn junk food’”.
She describes her inspiration as follows:
“… [C]ommercially successful porn does nothing for me: I want porn that stimulates the mind and feeds the soul. I want porn that is educational and inspirational. I want porn that is creative and kinky. And because I cannot find it anywhere, I make my own. I am a visual creature and enjoy expressing myself through photos and films that are very different from mainstream glamour photography and porn films.”
In 2009, she curated and produced the first installment of the Her Porn series with the aim of showing a variety of female erotic visions. Her Porn 2 is to be released in April 2010. She also acts as a distributor for other female directors.
Her films have been shown at New York City’s Cinekink festival, the pornfilmfest Berlin, and at the British Film Institute
.
2009 Winners
First Prize: Louise Lush, “That’s What I Like”
Second Prize: Lola Clavo, “La Lucha”
Third Prize: Linsey Satterthwaite, “I Like It When”
Special Jury Award: Cora Emens, “Cora’s Memoirs—The Rose”
“Best Soft Film” and “Best Lighting,” Sensual Seduction, UKAFTA, London 2008.
“Pioneering Achievements in Adult Films for Women,” eLine Awards, Berlin 2008.
"Best Bi Scene," Female Fantasies, Feminist Porn Awards, Toronto 2008.
"Most Erotic Film (Mejor Película Soft)," Female Fantasies, Barcelona International Erotic Film Festival
(FICEB), Barcelona 2007.
“Photographer of the Year,” Erotic Awards, London, 2004.
Feeling it, not faking it! (Erotic Film, 2008)
Female Fantasies (Erotic Film, 2006)
Sexual Sushi (Erotic Film, 2004)
Her Porn, Volume 2 (International Feminist Porn Compilation, 2009)
Free Love (Dir: Marianna Beck, USA, 2009)
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, TV producer, distributor
Film distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and photographer. She lives in Brighton, England. Along with Candida Royalle
Candida Royalle
Candida Royalle is an American producer and director of couples-oriented pornography and a former pornographic actress. She is member of the XRCO and the AVN Halls of Fame....
, Annie Sprinkle
Annie Sprinkle
Annie M. Sprinkle is an American former prostitute, stripper, pornographic actress, cable television host, porn magazine editor, writer and sex film producer...
, Maria Beatty
Maria Beatty
Maria Beatty is a New York filmmaker who directs, acts, and produces. Her films are often made in black and white and cover various aspects of female sexuality including BDSM and fetishism...
, and others, she is one of the pioneers of the movement to make pornography for women. Her genre is described as "art-core," meaning the focus is on sexuality from the female perspective, female pleasure, and creative, sensual play. Common themes in her erotic films include safe sex, men seen as sexual objects, female fantasies, and male bisexuality.
Background
Joy holds and master’s degree in Film History from the University of Köln. In 1990, She wrote her thesis on the representation of female sexuality in Nazi films. After graduation, she moved to England, where she worked for 10 years as a freelance producer and director for German television. Joy has directed and produced over 70 documentaries for international TV stations such as Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, National Geographic, and WDR. Since 1990, the main focus of her work has been lifestyle and sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
. A recurring topic was sexuality from a female perspective. Starting in 1992, she produced segments for “Liebe Sünde”, a programme about sex airing on the German satellite station Vox/Pro7.
In 2003, Joy launched Strawberry Seductress, an intimate and creative erotic photo service for women and couples and film production company. In 2004, Joy filmed Sexual Sushi, her first alternative pornographic film for women. Harper Collins published her book How to Make Your Own Adult Video: The Couple’s Guide to Making Sensual Home Movies in 2006. She then shot Female Fantasies and Feeling it, not faking it!. In 2009, Joy established the Petra Joy Award, an international erotic film competition for first-time female directors. She runs “how to make your own creative porn” workshops and speaks on the subject of women and pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
across Europe. Joy curates and produces a feminist porn series called Her Porn and has shot a documentary called The Joy of Porn: My Life as a Feminist Pornographer.
Erotic Film Production
Joy started producing and directing erotic films in 2004 with the aim to show a more accurate reflection of female sexuality than mainstream porn filmmakers. She works exclusively with amateur performers, with the intention of capturing real chemistry, always shows safe sex, and has a policy never to show acts that can be perceived as being degrading to women. In contrast to mainstream porn that often focuses on shots of genitalia, Joy focused on the faces of the performers. Authentic sex scenes, men as sex objects, elaborate costumes, and taboo themes such as females penetrating males, and male bisexuality often feature in her films.Of her first erotic film, Sexual Sushi, one reviewer wrote, “Petra has achieved her aim of creating an antidote to ‘porn junk food’”.
She describes her inspiration as follows:
“… [C]ommercially successful porn does nothing for me: I want porn that stimulates the mind and feeds the soul. I want porn that is educational and inspirational. I want porn that is creative and kinky. And because I cannot find it anywhere, I make my own. I am a visual creature and enjoy expressing myself through photos and films that are very different from mainstream glamour photography and porn films.”
In 2009, she curated and produced the first installment of the Her Porn series with the aim of showing a variety of female erotic visions. Her Porn 2 is to be released in April 2010. She also acts as a distributor for other female directors.
Her films have been shown at New York City’s Cinekink festival, the pornfilmfest Berlin, and at the British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
.
The Petra Joy Award
The Petra Joy Awards were founded by Petra Joy in October 2009 to encourage first-time erotic female filmmakers and to help the genre of porn from a female perspective thrive. Sponsored by German personal lubricant manufacturer pjur, the inaugural theme was “What is erotic to you?”. Submissions came from Australia, America, Holland, England, Spain, and Austria. The winning films premiered at the Movimento Kino in Berlin during Berlin’s pornfilmfest. In addition to cash prizes, the winning films are included on the first volume of Joy’s compilation of erotic female filmmakers Her Porn.2009 Winners
First Prize: Louise Lush, “That’s What I Like”
Second Prize: Lola Clavo, “La Lucha”
Third Prize: Linsey Satterthwaite, “I Like It When”
Special Jury Award: Cora Emens, “Cora’s Memoirs—The Rose”
Professional Honours and Awards
“Achievement Award,” Poryes, Berlin 2009.“Best Soft Film” and “Best Lighting,” Sensual Seduction, UKAFTA, London 2008.
“Pioneering Achievements in Adult Films for Women,” eLine Awards, Berlin 2008.
"Best Bi Scene," Female Fantasies, Feminist Porn Awards, Toronto 2008.
"Most Erotic Film (Mejor Película Soft)," Female Fantasies, Barcelona International Erotic Film Festival
Barcelona International Erotic Film Festival
The Barcelona International Erotic Film Festival, or FICEB is an annual Spanish pornographic film festival and awards ceremony....
(FICEB), Barcelona 2007.
“Photographer of the Year,” Erotic Awards, London, 2004.
As a director and producer
The Joy of Porn: My Life as Feminist Pornographer (Documentary, 2009)Feeling it, not faking it! (Erotic Film, 2008)
Female Fantasies (Erotic Film, 2006)
Sexual Sushi (Erotic Film, 2004)
As a curator and producer
Her Porn, Volume 1 (International Feminist Porn Compilation, 2010)Her Porn, Volume 2 (International Feminist Porn Compilation, 2009)
As a distributor
Dirty Diaries (Swedish Feminist Porn Compilation, 2009)Free Love (Dir: Marianna Beck, USA, 2009)
External links
- Strawberry Seductress The site for Petra Joy's erotic photography service for women and couples
- The Petra Joy Awards The Petra Joy Awards site