Judging Criteria for the Toronto International Porn Festival
These are the guidelines we give our jury members in evaluating films submitted to the Toronto International Porn Festival for nomination and awards.
- Quality – We love to award films that look great. We believe it is possible to make a great-looking film even with a limited amount of resources. We consider such factors as editing, framing, lighting, sound and overall production value when making selections. Attention to detail is appreciated! Story-crafting, acting, music, and direction are all factors that reveal how much care was put into the production of a movie.
- Inclusiveness – We recognize in a niche-based industry like porn not all films are for all audiences and aren’t able to include everyone. But we also love it when films make an effort to explore sexualities that are often marginalized, fetishized and/ or ignored by most porn.
- We like to include films that contain kink, BDSM, and consensual non-consent in a fictional context. We believe that these can be valid fantasies. We do not view consensual BDSM as violence or abuse.
- We don’t include or support films that rely upon sexual stereotypes. There are a lot more fantasy options out there and we love it when people are creative.
- It’s our goal to highlight and celebrate films that appeal to a diversity of audiences.
- The “it” factor: Movies that showcase a unique perspective are especially appealing, whether this is about the story being told, the interactions between characters or technical aspects like framing and editing. We are always most impressed when we encounter something novel, innovative and exciting that causes us to think about sexuality in a fresh way.
- Intimacy: Whether the film aims to arouse or not, the film needs to intimately connect the viewer to the story, the characters, the scene.
We are looking for films that address sex and sexuality in a variety of ways; through the erotic, documentary, humour, exposé, personal reflection, and/or art.
Who are these films for? The movies and websites that we select are for everyone. We wish to introduce all kinds of different people to all kinds of different films. We strive to provide pleasurable viewing options for a diversity of audiences so that we all can see ourselves and our desires reflected on screen. This includes EVERY BODY.