A Pornotopia Film Festival Timeline 2010-2011
The Tragic Tale of Pornotopia Film Festival 2010
Spring 2010
- first Pornotopia Film Festival meetings to discuss where we can hold the 2010 event in compliance with zoning code.
Summer 2010
- screening begins. Dozens of volunteers watch some good, some great, and some not-so great porn submitted for Pornotopia Film Festival 2010.
Early October 2010
- The Sunshine Theater is selected as a venue for Pornotopia Film Festival 2010 despite a greater initial expense than the Guild would require. The Sunshine Theater is zoned SU-3 which typically means venues can get special exemption for adult entertainment use.
Mid-October 2010
- The film sets are assembled and programming is set.
- Despite two previous calls to the zoning office to verify that the special permit is all we would need, when calling to apply for the special permit, we are informed that the 2001 downtown overlay plan does not allow for any new permits for adult entertainment.
October 23, 2010
- We hold a press conference to explain why we are postponing Pornotopia Film Festival 2010. In its place, we announce Pornotopia Film Festival: Censored, a one-night variety show featuring burlesque, circus acts, belly-dancing, and satirical comedy skits.
- City GIS zoning information and a visit to zoning office tells us the Sunshine Theater is zoned ok for adult use, and therefore a legal venue for Pornotopia Film Festival Film festival. One month before the festival, just before contracts were to be signed, we decided on a triple-check with the zoning office. This time, however, we found a previously-forgotten, newly-passed “downtown corridor plan” that overrides the zoning code and expressly forbids new commercial adult entertainment ventures. No exemptions, exceptions, ifs ands or buts, even for a special event. One weekend of an erotic film festival would not be allowed downtown.
- Pornotopia Film Festival film is postponed indefinitely.
- We decide to host a Pornotopia Film Festival Censored live show, 100% legal, to highlight the issue of free speech
November 6, 2010
- The censored show is censored due to veiled threats from city offices stating that performers licensing would be checked.
- 3 days before the November 6 show—We are also told that the managing partner of the Sunshine Theater was warned that Special Investigation Division agents would be at the event looking for any reason to cite the theater for alcohol violations. The Sunshine Theater remains dark for the weekend of Nov. 5-7, 2010.
- We were concerned about safety for performers, theater and attendees. Self Serve Sexuality Resource Center, and the community that plans Pornotopia Film Festival is always primarily concerned with creating safe space around sexuality and these performances and films. If threats are coming from city offices, zoning officers and Special Investigation Division, we no longer feel capable creating a safe place for events.
- Dan Savage discusses censorship on national podcast & Seattle Paper, and encourages his many fans to write to Mayor Berry.
late November 2010
- Outraged by the city’s abuse of power to shut down Pornotopia Film Festival & Pornotopia Film Festival: Censored, a core group of volunteers forms Citizens United For Free Speech to take action by legislative means.
November 2010
- Citizens United for Free Speech (CUFFS) group began meeting to talk to city council.
- CUFFS began planning, and individuals began reaching out to city councillors about threats to free speech.
- Hundreds of postcards, emails and phone calls reach Mayor’s office complaining of censorship.
- Councilors Garduno and Benton take meetings with constituents and show support for free speech and fair zoning laws.
December 2010-January 2011
- Various members of CUFFS group speak at city council meetings to ask for a change to the zoning code pertaining to Adult Entertainment Venues.
- Currently the code’s description of “adult entertainment” is broad enough to include many theatrical and art shows that go on throughout the city uncontested by the office of Zoning Enforcement.
December 22, 2010
- Self Serve co-owners & Pornotopia Film Festival coordinators Matie and Molly met with Tito Madrid from the Mayors Office, and Matthew Conrad from Zoning Code Enforcement
- Assistant Madrid understood zoning law shouldn’t be so unclear that enforcement is at the broad, selective discretion of zoning office
- The assistant to the Mayor clearly heard and saw first hand the arbitrary and subjective nature of zoning enforcement.
- Madrid said he will ask for a directive from the Mayor in terms of enforcement. This never happened to our knowledge, as of October 26, 2011, almost a year later.
- City officials made clear that any amendment to city zoning would need to go through the Environmental Planning Commission which is a 6-9 month process.
January 2, 2011-City Council Meeting
- Benton presents his report on the Pornotopia Film Festival/censorship issue
- Citizens spoke during public comment telling council about censorship issues
January 19, 2011 -City Council meeting
- citizens spoke during public comment tell council about censorship issues
February 2011
- The city-run Kimo Theater hosts the Southwest Burlesque Showcase, featuring some of the performers who pulled out of our Censored show due to the intimidation of the city inquiring about their business licenses.
- We later learn through the Mayor’s office that the city in fact made an exception in the show’s contract to allow a certain percentage of adult entertainment. This agreement is not available to us as of yet.
- Since after cancelling Pornotopia Film Festival’s Censored Show, zoning officials admit burlesque is in fact legal in Albuquerque, and performers would not have broken the law at our show as we were led to believe.
March 2011
- no zoning change proposed yet
- citizens united for free speech meet to strategize
- We plan for zoning change proposal, hoping to give more specific definition to broad regulation of adult entertainment.
May 3, 2011
- CUFFS members Darin & Alex spoke at city council, and asked “It’s been 6 months, what are you doing to ensure free speech in Albuquerque?”
May 25, 2011
- Matie, Molly, Elisa, & Darin meet with Councilor Garduno’s assistant to get updated timeline on any shift in zoning definitions. Realistically, with summer break, best case scenario zoning change could be heard in August.
June 2011
- zoning change proposal is not raised yet, will have to be delayed until August
July 2011
- Councilor Garduno’s office and zoning imply a special event permit may be possible while council, legal, city review new zoning language proposal.
- we would have loved a possible permit from the beginning of our planning process, but no allowance or permit is available for us to apply for as of now.
August 2011
- Julian Moya updates us: “Councilman Garduño and myself spoke with Matthew Conrad from Zoning last week and he told us that legal was reviewing it and he expected it to be in place in time for your event. [was planned for November] I will check in with Mr. Conrad again and report back to you.
September 2011
- Molly & Matie called zoning office and asked Matthew Conrad if zoning would allow for a legal event this year- he said timeline is unlikely for 2011 event.
- He said we could have an event while zoning changes are pending, if they get approved -we are in the clear. But if zoning change proposal is not eventually approved, we would have broken the law… It’s still not safe for us to host an event!
October 2011
- It’s nearly a year since our 2010 film festival and show have been canceled.
- KOAT news reports that the festival is still on hold.
- Now city officials tell us no permitting process is available for an exception to current regulations.
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Albuquerque’s Pornotopia Film Festival is on hold until further notice. The city has made it clear any show we put on could be cited and we opted to postpone all events. Please read the full story at our blog and share widely.
