FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“HOW TO LOSE YOUR VIRGINITY” MAKES U.S. DEBUT
AT DOC NYC FILM FESTIVAL
This November, travel through the world of religion, history, pop culture,
and $30 replacement hymens in an eye-opening and irreverent documentary
about a rite of passage that everyone thinks about but few truly understand.
November 17, 2013; 9:30 pm: Trixie Films is pleased to announce that HOW TO LOSE YOUR VIRGINITY will
premiere at DOC NYC Film Festival, the country’s largest
documentary festival. Described by DOC NYC organizers as
“a surprising look at virginity’s influence, from purity pledges
to porn sub-genres,” the film is programmed in the festival’s
American Perspectives section.
ABOUT THE FILM:
What has launched purity balls and porn franchises, defines a
young woman’s morality – and has no medical definition? Welcome to the magical world of virginity, where a white wedding
dress can restore a woman’s innocence, pigtails can turn even
the most experienced porn star chaste, and replacement hymens
sell online for $30 bucks.
Click to watch Film Trailer
SCREENING DETAILS (Click red link)
DOC NYC
Sunday, November 17th. 9:30pm
SVA Theater, New York
MORE INFORMATION (Click red link)
Film Website
Press Kit and Photos
Layering powerful personal stories with wit, clever animation
and vintage Sex-Ed films, filmmaker Therese Shechter explores
critical issues around female sexuality, youth, and the confounding value of the so-called precious gift
of sexual purity. Viewers are introduced to sex educators, porn producers, opinionated young men and
women, and abstinence advocates –and taken on set with the behemoth porn franchise Barely Legal.
Shechter uses her own path out of ‘virginity’ to frame the narrative, and creates a far-reaching dialogue with women across the sexuality spectrum: Lena, once shamed for writing about her sex life,
is now organizing around it; Judy, a Julliard-trained violinist prays to keep mind and body pure while
touring with provocateur Lady Gaga; Meghan, a transgender woman re-evaluates what sex and virginity mean to her changing body.
In a culture where “Be sexy, but don’t have sex” is the overwhelming message to young women,
HOW TO LOSE YOUR VIRGINITY goes through the looking glass to expose a rite of passage that
everyone thinks about, but few truly understand.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR :
Therese Shechter deftly fuses humor-spiked, personal narrative with grass roots activism to chronicle
21st Century feminism. In addition to HOW TO LOSE YOUR VIRGINITY, Shechter directed the
award-winning I WAS A TEENAGE FEMINIST, HOW I LEARNED TO SPEAK TURKISH, and
#SLUTWALKNYC, which premiered at the 2013 Hampton’s Film Festival. She also curates THE VCARD DIARIES, a transmedia accompaniment to HOW TO LOSE YOUR VIRGINITY comprised of
over 200 crowed-sourced, first person stories of sexual debuts and deferrals.
An expert on the subjects of virginity, feminism, and sexuality, Therese has spoken at symposiums
and conferences worldwide, and her work has been featured in Bust, Forbes, The Huffington Post, The
Guardian, Bitch Magazine, and The Jakarta Globe, among others.
ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
Lisa Esselstein is the award-winning producer of HOW TO LOSE YOUR VIRGINITY, for which
she’s credited with additional writing and editing. A writer/producer at Sundance Channel, Lisa oversees national promo campaigns for original unscripted programs such as Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s
DREAM SCHOOL and the critically acclaimed PUSH GIRLS. She has also produced short-form
documentary series for scripted originals, including the Emmy-award winning TOP OF THE LAKE,
RECTIFY, and 2014’s THE RED ROAD.
Prior to Sundance, Lisa was a consultant to IFC Films and was instrumental in the marketing and release of over 55 titles, including Miranda July’s ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW, Gus
Van Sant’s PARANOID PARK, Julien Temple’s JOE STRUMMER: THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN,
and the Oscar-nominated TRANSAMERICA
ABOUT THE PREMIERE:
What: A screening of HOW TO LOSE YOUR
VIRGINITY and a post-film Q&A with Director
Therese Shechter and Producer Lisa Esselstein.
Other cast and crew expected to attend.
When: November 17, 2013, 9:30pm
Where: NYC’s SVA Theater, 333 West 23rd
Street, between 8th and 9th Avenue
Contact: Rachel Romano; [email protected]; 561.254.2238