Publications for the 2025 Porn Film Festival Vienna, one of the biggest film festivals of its kind, begin with a quote from American feminist academic Camille Paglia that reads, “Pornography is human imagination in tense theatrical action; its violations are a protest against the violations of our freedom by nature.” Hence, the 2025 edition of the Porn Film Festival Vienna desires to advocate for the genre in the public sphere amidst widespread stigmatization of its workers and its viewers.
With its annual Porn Film Festival Gala, the festival also aims to celebrate its talents, to incentivize those who foster healthy working conditions and create porn films that are pieces of art in their own right. This is why the Porn Film Festival Vienna is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Decent Work And Economic Growth, Reduced Inequalities, and Gender Equality.
Since its conception in 2017, The Porn Film Festival Vienna desires to present porn that is feminist, queer & alternative to the mainstream. One of the festival’s founders, Jasmin Hagendorfer, explains that their preference comes from the fact that they want to center the experience of women and gender non-conforming people, perspectives that are often marginalized in an industry that mostly caters to cis-men. “In addition, many feminist productions stand for fair working conditions, a say, and consent, which are often not found in mainstream productions,” said Hagendorfer.
Aside from showing artful porn that comes with commendable production quality, the festival also hosts panel discussions with select filmmakers and workshops that help foster sex positivity. This means fostering a safe space where people can discuss topics around sex and sexualities without being constrained by societal taboos. In an interview with VIENNA.AT, Porn Film Festival Vienna co-founders Yavuz Kurtulmus and Jasmin Hagendorfer spoke about this further by asserting that their goal was never to just create a festival where people can watch well-produced feminist porn together, but rather to foster an environment where people could exchange ideas, discuss, and learn from each other on the aforementioned topics.
The Porn Film Festival Vienna 2025 continues its mission to destigmatize and celebrate the porn industry, advocating for workers' rights and promoting films that prioritize feminist, queer, and alternative perspectives. Through its gala events, panel discussions, and workshops, the festival creates a safe space for exploring sex positivity and challenging societal taboos. The festival invites people from all sorts of backgrounds into a sex-positive conversation, creating an atmosphere that will transform the future of the porn industry for the better.
Find out more about Porn Film Festival Vienna and their initiatives by checking their Instagram at @pff_vienna.