John Cameron Mitchell, 2006, USA, 101 min

This screening is part of the “Fractured Lust” series

An exuberant exploration of life, sex and happiness in New York City, SHORTBUS is the second feature from John Cameron Mitchell which follows an ensemble of artists through underground salons, therapy offices, and downtown apartments as they search for sexual liberation and personal satisfaction.

Shinya Tsukamoto, 2002, Japan, 77 min

This screening is part of the “Fractured Lust” series

From the director of TETSUO: THE IRON MAN, this visually-stunning and coldly-erotic masterpiece features a strange couple, Rinko and Shigehiko, whose physical mismatch is reflected in the complete lack of intimacy between them. They connect as human beings but they live more like friends than as lovers and lead nearly independent lives. Both seem comfortable with this coexistence, but the desires that lurk beneath the surface are brought out with the introduction of a third element (played by Tsukamoto himself) into the equation.

Catherine Breillat, 2013, France, 105 mins

This screening is part of the “Fractured Lust” series

Inspired by director Catherine Breillat’s (FAT GIRL, ROMANCE) true life experiences, her film, ABUSE OF WEAKNESS, is an exploration of power and sex. Isabelle Huppert (THE PIANO TEACHER, 8 WOMEN) stars as Maud, a strong willed filmmaker who suffers a stroke. Bedridden, but determined to pursue her latest film project, she sees Vilko (Kool Shen), a con man who swindles celebrities, on a TV talk show. Interested in him for her new film, the two meet and Maud soon finds herself falling for Vilko’s manipulative charm as their symbiotic relationship hurdles out of control.

Doris Wishman, 2002, USA, 78 min

This screening is part of the “Fractured Lust” series

Roommates Lisa, Beth, and Tess are three young women who each share the same goal of hooking up with their respective male bosses. While their attempts at seduction get off to a rough start, their peeping tom neighbor Billy spends his days spying through keyholes and trying to get a piece of the action. Will these roommates finally make it with their managers? And what about Billy?

Octogenarian filmmaker and “Queen of Sexploitation” Doris Wishman was working at a sex shop in Miami in the early 90s when she met experimental musician Tom Smith (To Live and Shave in L.A.), spurring a full-blown career revival that saw her honored at film festivals around the world and featured on HBO’s Real Sex and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Intended to be her comeback movie, Dildo Heaven premiered at the New York Underground Film Festival just months before her passing in 2002 and then was never officially widely released until now. A charming shot-on-video sex comedy that defies all description–and surely the only movie by a senior citizen to feature an original rap theme song–Dildo Heaven (also known as Desperate Desires) is a fitting swan song for one of the most beloved cult filmmakers of all time.