The Adult Film Festival Las Vegas, which takes place concurrently with the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo (January 24th through 27th 2018), will again be at the Erotic Heritage Museum January 26th through 28th, 2018. That is a lot of things to see at once, and well worth a trip to Las Vegas.
If you enjoy sex toys or hanging out with adult stars, the AVN Expo is something you should definitely experience. For a little background on AVN shows past, check out our AEE Memories article. It is the major show for the adult industry, and many of your favorite pornstars and camgirls and camguys will be there with an opportunity to meet them and take a picture with them. The people in the adult entertainment industry treat their fans extremely well. The Adult Film Festival will also have a booth at the AEE.
If the history of sex is interesting to you, you will love the Erotic Heritage Museum. It is a full blown museum with exhibits and artifacts. If you attend the Adult Film Festival Las Vegas you also get access to the museum. That is a great deal, as the museum is a must see attraction when visiting Vegas, and the normal cost of admission to the museum is more than a one day ticket to the film festival.
As to the Adult Film Festival, it was launched in 2015 by founder and current creative director Deajha Milan. She began her career in the adult industry in 1999, appearing in over a dozen adult films that I am aware of. She then branched out into producing.
Her career was happily sidelined when she learned that she was pregnant after being told by doctors that she could not be. She spent some time focusing on being a mom.
The idea for an adult film festival was suggested by a friend. There have been various Adult Film Festivals over the years, but they typically were short lived, and none were tied in this closely to the adult industry.
I was never that into sports nor bubblegum. The Film Festival offers trading cards that I personally find far more interesting.
As with the AVN Awards that take place in Vegas that Saturday night, they have many categories- 49 by my count. They include Best Picture: Feature, Best Picture: Short, Best Amateur Picture: Feature, Best Amateur Picture: Short, Best Drama: Short, Best Drama: Feature, Best Amateur Drama: Short, Best Amateur Drama: Feature, Best Comedy/Parody: Short, Best Comedy/Parody: Feature, Best Amateur Comedy/Parody: Short, Best Amateur Comedy/Parody: Feature, Best Action: Short, Best Action: Feature, Best Amateur Action: Short, Best Amateur Action: Feature, Best Horror/Thriller: Short, Best Horror/Thriller: Feature, Best Amateur Horror/Thriller: Short, Best Amateur Horror/Thriller: Feature, Best Foreign Film: Short, Best Foreign Film: Feature, Best Amateur Foreign Film: Short, Best Amateur Foreign Film: Feature, Best Documentary Professional and Amateur, Best Music Video (5 winners), Best Gay/Transgender Film: Short, Best Gay/Transgender Film: Feature, Best Amateur Gay/Transgender Film: Short, Best Amateur Gay/Transgender Film: Feature, Best Softcore/Erotic Film: Short, Best Softcore/Erotic Film: Feature, Best Amateur Softcore/Erotic Film: Short, Best Amateur Softcore/Erotic Film: Feature, Best Animation Film (3 winners), Best Actress: Short, Best Actress: Feature, Best Actor: Short, Best Actor: Feature, Best Cinematography: Short, Best Cinematography: Feature, Best Director: Short, Best Director: Feature, Best Editing: Feature, Best Editing: Short, Best Sci Fi/Adventure: Short, Best Sci Fi/Adventure: Feature, Best Amateur Sci Fi/Adventure: Short, and Best Amateur Sci Fi/Adventure: Feature.
They will be screened in the big screening room. Watching adult movies communally is sort of a thing of the past, and certainly the old adult movie theaters were not optimal. Watching them with a group of other sex positive people is pretty terrific, though. I saw my first porn movie in a Pussycat theater with my then just turned 18 girlfriend. We have been together and happily married ever since, as I am talking about CenterSEE co-founder Kris Booth. It was a fun experience, but I think watching the films at the AFFLV will be even more fun, even if it does not lead to lifelong happiness with the person you adore.
Besides watching the movies and roaming through the museum, there is also a lot else to do. They have an exhibitors area. Here all the exhibition spaces are the same size, as she wants to treat everyone equally.
There are also seminars. Sexuality Educator, Sexologist, and Relationship Therapist Dr. Markie Twist, together with her partner Ryan Twist, will host a workshop on the art of Tantric sex for couples. This a couples only clothing optional seminar that will be a unique and meaningful experience for you and your partner. You should bring a yoga mat.
Marcus London will present his Master Seminar on Squirting. Yes, it is a real thing, and yes, some porn videos have faked it. Here you will learn the reality of what many women consider one of the most powerful types of orgasm.
At The Adult Entertainment Expo, nudity is strictly forbidden, even to the flashing of a nipple. I know- its in a hall limited to people over 21 and we should really just grow up. But, that is the way it is. It is a little bit different at the film festival though.
Back in the day, I did a lot of what were known as on-set Pretty Girl shots. They were posed nudes, generally not hardcore, often used for the boxcover and promotion of the adult video being shot, or in my case, for the article I was writing. A number of my favorite on-set shots will appear in my upcoming photo book, Long Lingering Look. It was fun, but it was also work. You can have just the fun part with a private event at the AFFLV where you get to have a session with an adult star posing nude or topless. You go home with a couple of sexy shots just for you, and you don’t have to worry about competing with other photographers jostling for a perfect shot or a cranky editor who wants to know why you did not get the shot he wanted. It is not all that expensive, it puts money in the talent’s pocket (which is always a good thing – coming to the AEE to promote yourself is expensive), and you get photos to show off everywhere except at work, the daycare center, family gatherings, and almost everywhere else.
There are also after parties that run late into the night. Check out their site, and you can also learn more on their social media sites, including Twitter and Facebook. I’ll be at the AFFLV and at the AEE, so say hello if you see me.