Words by Kyle Turner
There is power in amateurishness! That’s the guiding principle of Dan Savage’s HUMP! Film Festival, the film fest for porn for “people who don’t like pornography”, celebrating its 18th year and thus old enough to buy pornography in the store (yes, some people still do that).
It is from an amateur one can find the passion and whimsy untainted by the professional’s need to aggressively commodify their talent. And, even in an age of hypersexuality on the internet, those virtues can still be found in spaces like the HUMP! Festival, which encourages amateur pornographers not only to find new ways of fucking, but new ways to see fucking.
“AirSnF”
The hotel/rented out subgenre of pornography is well trod, but performers Zelda Sparxx, as the rental host, and Adonis Gamisi, as the sex therapist visiting for a conference, have a likable chemistry, and Sparxx in particular possesses a winning charm and knowing smile. Their pairing has the sincere spark of people meeting serendipitously and then getting it on, giving the renter/host dynamic a little bit of spice. And by the end of their scene, that dynamic is cleverly subverted with an affectionate punchline, humorous enough to turn any bed into a home away from home.
“Blue Balls”
Is there anything worse than waking with a log between your legs and no time to put the timber to use? In “Blue Balls”, the protagonist awakes from an intense sex dream with his sheets damp from his precum, only to spend the rest of the day letting his lack of completion warp (or eroticize) the world around him. His delivery man’s cock peaks from behind the tight shorts, his boss alternates between constructive feedback and a big boobed proposition, and the Chicago subway becomes the staging area for an all you can eat out orgy. HomoGoods’ visual sensibility is jagged and manic, a dose of Ralph Bakshi in its brazenness and exaggerated proportions. With a visual aesthetic that is unique without sacrificing its sexuality, “Blue Balls” smirks at the way horniness can “ruin” your whole day.
“Dirty Old Man”
Filmmaker Jallen Rix, who holds a Doctorate of Education in Sexology from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, has been self-documenting his self pleasuring since YouTube was in its infancy. Rix, now in his 60’s, assembles several of the video diaries together, intercutting them with present tense playtime while meditating on the nature of age, sexuality, and society. It’s as much a compelling testament against ageism within LGBTQ communities as it is a thoughtful consideration of how an era of democratized video technology and evolving sexual attitudes collide offering possibility for joy and liberation.
“Table Top Tango”
The observation of how everyday objects resemble sexual organs is, at first, somewhat of a basic one. Bananas, wrenches, eggplants, etc. But, animator Mike Booth and composer Rodrigo Avalos (with violinist Gonzalo Lesta) offer a fun and surprisingly sexy way of reimagining these objects and how they can interact with each other. Yes, there’s penetration, obviously, but with the fiery push and pull of the music, the passion play of the tango is projected onto the objects, making the overtness a clip and a chili pepper’s give and take a thrilling contradictory quality. The tango is as much about the not touching, the breathlessness, as it is the contact; here, it’s about re-envisioning what can make contact, what can be imbued with sex and eroticism and fun.
“Not Safe for Church”
God’s approval rating is down and the angels Lou and Sage know sex sells. They suggest God (Cal) make a sex tape with two TikTok stars (Aaron and Lorenzo) and hope for the best. This threesome scene is certainly sexy, with Aaron and Lorenzo’s topping skills rigorous and God’s bottoming naughty enough to invite the wink of the Devil. But, it’s Louis Giraffe’s script which is the surprising sell. It is certain of the kind of parody it aspires to be—religion in the age of social media—and it efficiently delivers as many good jokes as it can fit. With a wry perspective about the contradictions and complements of religion and gay sex, this short is both very amusing and hot enough to make you repent.
Purchase a pass and stream all films here.
Kyle Turner is a writer and editor based in New York City. You can follow and support his work here.