Hump Days

A porn festival for people who don't like pornography? That's how syndicated sex columnist Dan Savage describes the Hump! Film Festival, the 13th annual event coming to San Francisco's Victoria Theater, Jan. 17-27. The festival will also be in Berkeley at the Ashby Stage, Jan. 31-Feb. 4, and in Oakland at the Starline Social Club, Feb. 8-10.

In a phone interview with the B.A.R. to discuss the details of the festival, Savage said Hump! "showcases home movie erotica, amateur sex cinema, and locally produced pornography, all less than five minutes long. Essentially, it's short dirty movies created by people who aren't porn stars but want to be one for a weekend."

The filmmakers and their film stars "show us what they think is hot and sexy," said Savage. The program consists of 21 shorts, a carefully curated program featuring "a cornucopia of body types, shapes, ages, colors and sexualities." The films "are united by a shared spirit of sex positivity."

"Hump! is a celebration of creative sexual expression," said Savage. "You may see films that shock you, that make you laugh, or that turn you on." The festival's main mission, he said, "is to change the way America sees, makes, and shares pornography."

Savage said the filmmakers are encouraged to produce entries specifically for the festival, pointing out that several films that premiered at Hump! in previous years have been re-released and achieved "significant commercial success." Most notable were the gay feature "Lawnboy" and the short mockumentary "How To Get a Leg Up in Porn."

The festival opened its national tour in Seattle and Portland, where festivalgoers voted for their favorites, which include:

Best humor: "A Hump! Public Service Announcement," which the program says is both "educational and sexy."

Best humor, runner up: "Dildrone," the story of a drone equipped with a dildo.

Best sex: "The Alley," featuring "tattooed strangers who find an extremely hot way to pass the time between a few spin cycles."

Best sex, runner up: "The Code," a film that "will convince you to never take Uber again," with a warning not to try what is described in the film on your Lyft ride home.

Best kink: "Paramnesia," featuring "kinky Tumblr girls who shot a Lynchian porn."

Annual jury award: "Bed Bugs," a story of "the ghost of boyfriend past who haunts a trashed mattress."

Annual best in show: "Connection," "a coffee-shop fantasy that turns a contemporary dance routine into one of the sexiest stripteases Hump! has ever seen."

Savage began his column "Savage Love" in 1991, when he moved from Madison, Wisconsin, where he was working in a videostore, to Seattle, to write for the alternative weekly "The Stranger." The column took off immediately, and at its peak was syndicated to 100 publications internationally. In the beginning, many of the questions were about "particular sex acts," said Savage. But now "everything has its own Wiki page, so the questions tend to involve situational ethics."

Savage has also worked as a theater director under the name Kennan Hollohan, and founded Seattle's Greek Active Theater, where he produced queer interpretations of classic works, such as a tragicomic "Macbeth" with both the title character and Lady Macbeth played by performers of the opposite sex.

In 2010, Savage and his husband Terry Miller began the "It Gets Better Project" to help prevent suicide among LGBT youth. He has written four books, and contributes to "This American Life," "Out" magazine, and HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher." He has appeared frequently on TV news programs discussing LGBT issues, including same-sex marriage and policies about gays in the military. In 2014, Savage participated in the David Thorpe documentary "Do I Sound Gay?" about stereotypes of gay men's speech patterns. He also produces "Savage Lovecast," a weekly podcast based on his column.

Running the 60-city Hump! Fest tour is an "unbelievable amount of work," said Savage, who plans to be in San Francisco for the entire run, fielding questions and "taking selfies" with audience members who want a picture with him. During the day, he said, "I hide out in coffeeshops, writing my column," and in the evenings, he tries to have dinner out with friends.

Part of the appeal of the festival, he said, is that the films are "not dehumanizing. Everyone in them wants to be in them. People do it for fun. Nobody is paid, so audience members never have to worry" that people are working because they need the money.

In addition to his current lineup of gigs, Savage said a "television project" is now under discussion. "But I can't say anymore right now."

humpfilmfest.com