million-copy success of erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey. Festival director Richard Moore says the Brisbane public is hungry for grown-up material, so there will be a
Forbidden Pleasures section among the event's 136 films when it opens at Palace Barracks Cinema on November 14.
Forbidden Pleasures section among the event's 136 films when it opens at Palace Barracks Cinema on November 14.
Moore has chosen eight films about sex and sexual behavior for Forbidden Pleasures, including the controversial psychological American film Compliance about sexploitation which sparked mass walkouts at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. “Ten women walked out of the screening in Sundance saying it was 'outrageous', so you know when that happens it is a disturbing story," Moore said.
"It is based on a terrible hoax perpetrated on a teenage girl who
worked in a McDonald's in America, and there was a famous court case and she got a $6 million settlement."
worked in a McDonald's in America, and there was a famous court case and she got a $6 million settlement."
Moore said QUT adjunct professor Helen Yeates' free film Do Look Now is a playful look at "love, sex, desire, fun and yearning" by meshing together famous sex scenes from 23 movies.
Not surprisingly, films from Europe dominate Moore's selections, including this year's Berlin Film Festival winner Hemel, a Swedish documentary about sex change operations Regretters, controversial 1970s sexploitation film Salon Kitty and the film most like Fifty Shades, Norway's Turn Me On, Goddammit!.
"Sex does sell, and Scandinavians especially are remarkably honest about sex and sexual behaviour," Moore said. "The films all show various aspects of human sexual behaviour and they all have a good narrative and engage an audience." Moore said he came up with the idea for Forbidden Pleasures when he was accidentally sent the contract for Salon
Kitty, instead of a Spaghetti Western movie, and on investigation decided that the landmark Nazi sexploitation movie would be great for the festival. BIFF runs November 14-25, opening and closing with Australian premieres. It starts with Ray Winstone's The Sweeney, a gritty re-make of the 1970s cop show, and ends with Joe Wright's Anna Karenina.
Kitty, instead of a Spaghetti Western movie, and on investigation decided that the landmark Nazi sexploitation movie would be great for the festival. BIFF runs November 14-25, opening and closing with Australian premieres. It starts with Ray Winstone's The Sweeney, a gritty re-make of the 1970s cop show, and ends with Joe Wright's Anna Karenina.
