San Francisco, CA –- Folsom Prison wins Best Fetish Film at the 11th Annual GayVN Awards at the Castro Theater in San Francisco. This marks the third year in a row that one of Titan Media's cobranded features with Folsom Street Events has won the Best Fetish or Fetish (Extreme) category at the GayVNs with Folsom Filth in 2007 and Fear in 2008. It is also the second year in a row that Derek and I had scenes together in the winning feature (note: Derek has been in all three). I can't help but feel a personal sense of accomplishment following this recognition since Folsom Prison was my first venture into writing and directing. Thanks to Brian Mills being willing to collaborate so fully, Diesel Washington and I have co-writing credit with him and I was given the opportunity to co-direct the scenes I have in the film.

Titan brought home three other chunks of Lucite. Breakers, Bruce Cam's xxx directorial farewell, won both Best All-Sex Film and Best HD Feature. Tommy Ruckus and Jackson Wild won Best Solo Performance for their scene in Home Invasion.

I didn't win Best Actor and neither Derek nor I were recognized as Best Fetish Performer.

Ricky Sinz took home the Best Actor award for his role in To the Last Man. I know Ricky personally; hang with him on occasion in Chi town and my congratulations go out to him. Ricky is a fine performer and a good guy. He's also been a safer sex advocate and educator doing things like PSAs and benefits for local Chicago groups like Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN), which is greatly appreciated.

Tober Brandt was recognized as the Best Fetish Performer of the year. I consider Tober a friend and love him like a brother because he is a real player and a genuine person. He is also twisted, queer and fucked up in ways that make Derek and I feel kindred to him while at the same time fill us with brotherly concern. Tober would be the first to admit he never said he was a role model, unfortunately as performers I think we have a responsibility to set a positive example. Some may disagree with me, but Tober's body of work this past year has included bareback performances that, in my opinion, run contrary to those efforts. Tober knows how I feel about these things. We have talked about them face to face and I respect that those decisions are his to make, but with no disrespect to Tober, I believe Derek would have been a better choice for Fetish Performer. Industry awards carry some weight and I would rather see it applied to promoting performers whose activities show responsibility to our community.

Of course these are the industry awards that gave several nominations and at least one individual award (Best Bottom) to Brent Corrigan, who started out not just with bareback performances but at the illegal age of seventeen. Now, I'm not suggesting that people shouldn't be given a second chance, but I can't help but wonder what repercussions will come to an industry that celebrates risk behavior and controversy so blatantly. More sales to the profiteers and more risk behavior in our own communities, I'm guessing.

Personally, I feel like I've already won. Less than two years ago, I entered the industry with a desire to bring safer sex and responsible play to the screen. Now I'm performing in and co-directing a new line of fetish/Sm features with Paul Wilde for Titan with Brian Mills as a mentor. Very few performers have ever been given such an opportunity.

I'm blessed. I have my boy Derek who convinced me to capture our passions on video and continually challenges me to up my game with every scene we do on set or off. And, I have a studio that has become a home. Bruce Cam and Titan Media have invested not just in me but in content that includes heavy fetish/Sm play with a consciousness of character. From performers and crews, through the editing and marketing departments, Titan represents quality in both product and principle.

I may not have been given the opportunity to do so on stage at the GayVNs, but I can express my appreciation here in this blog. Derek, Bruce, Keith, Brian and Paul... thank you for everything you have done and all that you have taught me.