Category: Upcoming Events
Fetish Film Forum is back for more!
January-December, 2024, the Leather Archives & Museum celebrates
sex, relationships, and art with 14 extraordinary films!
Perspectives on fetish, kink, leather, and BDSM are as numerous as the people in these communities, and the fourteen films in this series explore various points of view on the sexual practice and art of fetish and kink, bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism. Cinema is a fetish for the moving image, a form of roleplay for the actors, and an experience of voyeurism for the viewer, and Fetish Film Forum celebrates the power of film to realize humanity’s innermost desires.
To name just a few of the pleasures that await, we’ll partake in January Giallo with ultra-queer thriller Knife+Heart; pal around with the ever-flirtatious Elvira: Mistress of the Dark for Halfway to Halloween; experience the Chicago premiere of underground marvel The Orgy of the Damned; celebrate Pride Month with the radical depiction of a Christian saint in Derek Jarman’s Sebastiane; spend Madonna’s birthday weekend beholding her steamy performance in Body of Evidence; enjoy twice the sweet suffering in October with a double feature of Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II; and cherish a holiday double feature of Edward Scissorhands and Batman Returns exploring the kinky sensibilities of Tim Burton. Scroll down for full screening schedule!
All screenings will be introduced by John McDevitt, and they’ll be joined by numerous guest co-presenters and pop-up vendors throughout the year. Stay after the shows for free post-screening discussions to share your thoughts about these wonderful films!
This series was programmed by John McDevitt in cooperation with the Leather Archives & Museum. John is a lifelong cinephile who currently works as Community Engagement Manager at FACETS, the non-profit film organization in Chicago’s Lincoln Park.
TICKETING
Single Ticket: $10/General, or $8/LA&M Members & Students
Double Feature (Oct or Dec): $15/General, or $12/LA&M Members & Students
Season Pass: $100/General, or $80/LA&M Members & Students
Purchase your Single Tickets, Double Features, or Season Pass here
Must be 18 years of age or older.
SERIES FILMS
Knife+Heart (2018) – Saturday, January 20 @ 7pm
Directed by Yann Gonzalez, France/Mexico/Switzerland, 102 mins
Co-Presented by Cinematic Void
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989) – Saturday, February 10 @ 7pm
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar, Spain, 101 mins
Geographies of Public Sex – Saturday, March 16 @ 7pm
Contemporary Shorts Program, Various Directors
Co-Presented by Henry Hanson of Full Spectrum Features
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) – Saturday, April 20 @ 7pm
Directed by James Signorelli, USA, 96 mins
Co-Presented by Abhorrent Cinema
The Orgy of the Damned (2023) – Saturday, May 18 @ 7pm
Directed by Norbert Pfaffenbichler, Austria, 82 mins
Co-Presented by Raul Benitez of Chicago International Film Festival
Sebastiane (1976) – Saturday, June 15 @ 7pm
Directed by Derek Jarman & Paul Humfress, United Kingdom, 85 mins
Co-Presented by Pride Film Fest
The Duke of Burgundy (2014) – Saturday, July 20 @ 7pm
Directed by Peter Strickland, United Kingdom, 104 mins
Body of Evidence (1993) – Saturday, August 17 @ 7pm
Directed by Uli Edel, USA/Germany, 99 mins
Co-Presented by Foul Monkeys Podcast
The Night Porter (1974) – Saturday, September 21 @ 7pm
Directed by Liliana Cavani, Italy, 118 mins
Hellraiser (1987) – Saturday, October 19 @ 7pm
Directed by Clive Barker, United Kingdom/USA, 93 mins
Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) – Saturday, October 19 @ 9:15pm
Directed by Tony Randel, United Kingdom/USA, 93 mins
Co-Presented by Brian Kirst of Big Gay Horror Fan
Tokyo Decadence (1992) – Saturday, November 16 @ 7pm
Directed by Ryū Murakami, Japan, 112 mins
Co-Presented by Oscarbate
Edward Scissorhands (1990) – Saturday, December 21 @ 7pm
Directed by Tim Burton, USA, 105 mins
Batman Returns (1992) – Saturday, December 21 @ 9:15pm
Directed by Tim Burton, USA, 126 mins
Co-Presented by Gerber/Hart Library & Archives
Join us on the 2nd Tuesday each month, from 7-9pm. This is a studio drawing class where you can practice your figure drawing skills individually. We’ll provide the sexy fetish models, tables and chairs……you provide whatever materials you want to use for drawing.
This program is available both in-person and online. If attending online, you will receive the zoom link prior to the event after registering.
There is a $10 fee to help us pay our models. You can pay online at https://the-leather-archives-and-museum.networkforgood.com/events/54670-2023-fek-draw or with Venmo (@LeatherArchives) You may also pay cash at the door if you prefer.
Please try to be on time so as not to interrupt the model or the other artists. Doors open at 6:30pm for each session.
March-December, 2023, the Leather Archives & Museum celebrates non-normative intimacy and art
with a new monthly screening series, Fetish Film Forum.
Purchase Tickets Here
Perspectives on fetish, kink, leather, and BDSM are as numerous as the people in these communities, and the ten erotic films in this series, spanning nine countries and six decades, explore various points of view on the
sexual practice and art of fetish and kink, bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism. Cinema is a fetish for the moving image, a form of roleplay for the actors, and an experience of
voyeurism for the viewer, and Fetish Film Forum celebrates the power of film to realize humanity’s innermost desires.
Screenings include Secretary (2002), a whimsical comedy-drama about a woman who discovers the joys of submission; Belle de Jour (1967), starring Catherine Deneuve
as a housewife who uses sex work to explore her sexual fantasies; Pleasure (2021), the story of a young woman who travels from Sweden to Los Angeles in search of porn stardom;
Querelle (1982), Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s spectacular adaptation of the novel by Jean Genet; Shortbus (2006), an empowering whirlwind of polyamory by the director of
Hedwig and the Angry Inch; In the Realm of the Senses (1976), an erotic art film inspired by the true story of geisha and sex worker Sada Abe;
Cruising (1980), William Friedkin’s controversial slasher about a killer who targets gay men in NYC; Hellraiser (1987), Clive Barker’s horror classic involving
leather-clad beings who relish suffering; The Handmaiden (2016), a twisty erotic thriller by internationally acclaimed director Park Chan-wook; and
Cristiana: Devil Nun (1972), a campy nunsploitation romp for the holidays.
Be the first to answer our trivia questions in the introductions to these screenings, and win a fantastic pornographic film on Blu-ray, courtesy of
Altered Innocence
, or other treasures!
All screenings will be introduced by local film programmer John McDevitt, and they’ll be joined by numerous guest co-presenters throughout the year. Stay after the shows for free post-screening discussions to share your
thoughts about these extraordinary films!
This series was programmed by John McDevitt in cooperation with the Leather Archives & Museum. John is a lifelong cinephile who currently works as Community Engagement Manager at FACETS, the non-profit film
organization in Chicago’s Lincoln Park.
TICKETING
Single Ticket: $10/General, or $8/LA&M Members & Students
5-Film Pass: $40/General, or $35/LA&M Members & Students
Purchase your Single Tickets or 5-Film Pass here
Must be 18 years of age or older.
SERIES FILMS
Secretary (2002) – Saturday, March 18 @ 7pm
Directed by Steven Shainberg, USA, 107 mins
Belle de Jour (1967) – Saturday, April 15 @ 7pm
Directed by Luis Buñuel, France, 101 mins
Pleasure (2021) – Saturday, May 20 @ 7pm
Directed by Ninja Thyberg, Sweden, 105 mins
Querelle (1982) – Saturday, June 17 @ 7pm
Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West Germany, 108 mins
Co-presented by Foul Monkeys Podcast
Shortbus (2006) – Saturday, July 15 @ 7pm
Directed by John Cameron Mitchell, Canada, 101 mins
Co-presented by Pride Film Fest
In the Realm of the Senses (1976) – Saturday, August 19 @ 7pm
Directed by Nagisa Ōshima, Japan, 108 mins
Co-presented by Asian Pop-Up Cinema
Cruising (1980) – Saturday, September 16 @ 7pm
Directed by William Friedkin, USA, 102 mins
Co-presented by Stephanie Sack of Giallo Gelato
Hellraiser (1987) – Saturday, October 21 @ 7pm
Directed by Clive Barker, United Kingdom, 93 mins
Co-presented by Brian Kirst of Big Gay Horror Fan
The Handmaiden (2016) – Saturday, November 18 @ 7pm
Directed by Park Chan-wook, South Korea, 144 mins
Co-presented by Gerber/Hart Library & Archives
Cristiana: Devil Nun (1972) – Saturday, December 16 @ 7pm
Directed by Sergio Bergonzelli, Italy, 102 mins
Co-presented by Corinne Halbert of Acid Nun
Grab your favorite gear and join us on the last Friday of every month, from 6-9pm. We’ll have music, drinks, and snacks to get your weekend off to a kinky start. Join us to socialize with other kinksters, check out the latest exhibits, or just hang out and color in your sexiest stuff.
All gear (or no gear) is welcome….leather, rubber, furries, pups, sports gear, jocks, drag, suits, and whatever makes you feel hot! There are no wrong answers.
These programs are free, and registration is not necessary. LA&M is open to everyone ages 18 and over.
Come worship with us on the first Sunday of every month with some fun and engaging kink education! Leather Redux is our workshop leader, and will cover a new topic each month. There is plenty of time to listen and learn, and to practice your new skills. Programs are open to all regardless of gender, gender identity, orientation, experience level….all means all.
Our class for January is Kink for Mind Body Spirit. We will be exploring the mental, physical, and spiritual alchemy when it comes to kink. This includes how to: tap into a meditative state to open up the body’s energetic field, treat the body as an altar with props and tools, and understand the spiritual impact of play and approach it with care.
Jocifer is a genderfluid Vietnamese healing artist that specializes in trauma-informed, decolonized shamanic energy work, Asian body work, and divination. They have been a sex educator since 2016 with a focus on kink, BDSM, and its intersection with spirituality. They invite others to cultivate deep relationships to their bodies and intimacy. They do so by combining their knowledge as a healing artist with their passion for safe, embodied, intentional play and sex.
These programs are free, and registration is not necessary. Each session starts at 3pm.
Join us on the 2nd Tuesday each month, from 7-9pm. This is a studio drawing class where you can practice your figure drawing skills individually. We’ll provide the sexy fetish models, tables and chairs……you provide whatever materials you want to use for drawing.
This program is available both in-person and online. If attending online, you will receive the zoom link prior to the event after registering.
There is a $10 fee to help us pay our models. You can pay online at https://the-leather-archives-and-museum.networkforgood.com/events/54670-2023-fek-draw or with Venmo (@LeatherArchives) You may also pay cash at the door if you prefer.
Please try to be on time so as not to interrupt the model or the other artists. Doors open at 6:30pm for each session.
From the Wachowski sisters’ directorial debut BOUND to the Chicago premiere of Fantastic Fest best picture winner PIETY to the return of Nunsploitation for Christmas with IMAGES IN A CONVENT and SCHOOL OF THE HOLY BEAST, get ready for our third annual festival exploring fetish, kink, leather, and BDSM in cinema!
Experience erotic fantasies from around the world and across time with 14 films gathered from 10+ countries and ranging from the 1960s to the present day. Cinema is a fetish for the moving image, a form of roleplay for the actors, and an experience of voyeurism for the viewer, and Fetish Film Forum celebrates the power of film to realize humanity’s innermost desires.
All screenings will be introduced by John McDevitt, and they’ll be joined by numerous guest co-presenters and pop-up vendors throughout the year. Stay after the shows for free post-screening discussions to share your thoughts about these wonderful films!
This series was programmed by John McDevitt in cooperation with the Leather Archives & Museum.
TICKETING
Single Ticket: $10/General, or $8/LA&M Members & Students
Double Feature (Oct or Dec): $15/General, or $12/LA&M Members & Students
Season Pass: $100/General, or $80/LA&M Members & Students
Purchase your Single Tickets, Double Features, or Season Pass here
Must be 18 years of age or older.
Bound (1996) – Saturday, January 18 @ 7pm
Directed by The Wachowskis, USA, 108 mins
Co-Presented by Women, Trans, & Nonbinary Leather / Kink Social
Blind Beast (1969) – Saturday, February 22 @ 7pm
Directed by Yasuzo Masumura, Japan, 86 mins
Co-Presented by Asian Pop-Up Cinema
Dogs Don’t Wear Pants (2019) – Saturday, March 15 @ 7pm
Directed by J-P Valkeapää, Finland, 105 minutes
American Mary (2012) – Saturday, April 19 @ 7pm
Directed by Jen and Sylvia Soskai, Canada, 102 mins
Co-Presented by The Abhorrent Cinema
The Image (1975) – Saturday, May 17 @ 7pm
Directed by Radley Metzger, USA, 89 mins
Co-Presented by Oscarbate Film Collective
Equation to an Unknown (1980) – Saturday, June 21 @ 7pm
Directed by Francis Savel, France, 99 mins
Co-Presented by Olivia Hunter Willke & Scott Potis
Piety (2022) – Saturday, July 19 @ 7pm
Directed by Eduardo Casanova, Spain/Argentina4, 80 mins
Co-Presented by Raul Benitez of CIFF
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989) – Saturday, August 16 @ 7pm
Directed by Peter Greenaway, UK/France, 124 mins
Co-Presented by Foul Monkeys Podcast
Queen Bee Empire (2014) – Saturday, September 20 @ 7pm
Directed by Samuel Shanahoy, USA, 51 mins
Co-Presented by Henry Hanson of Full Spectrum Features
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 (1985) – Saturday, October 18 @ 7pm
Directed by Jack Sholder, USA, 87 mins
From Beyond (1986)
Directed by Stuart Gordon, Italy/USA, 86 mins
Co-Presented by Brian Kirst of Big Gay Horror Fan
The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant (1972) – Saturday, November 15 @ 7pm
Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West Germany, 112 mins
Co-Presented by Gerber Hart Library and Archives
Images in a Convent (1979) – Saturday, December 20 @ 7pm
Directed by Joe D’Amato, Italy, 85 mins
School of the Holy Beast (1974)
Directed by Norifumi Suzuki, Japan, 91 mins
Co-Presented by Corinne Halbert of Acid Nun
Grab your favorite gear and join us on the last Friday of every month, from 6-9pm. We’ll have music, drinks, and snacks to get your weekend off to a kinky start. Join us to socialize with other kinksters, check out the latest exhibits, or just hang out and color in your sexiest stuff.
All gear (or no gear) is welcome….leather, rubber, furries, pups, sports gear, jocks, drag, suits, and whatever makes you feel hot! There are no wrong answers.
These programs are free, and registration is not necessary. LA&M is open to everyone ages 18 and over.