CHATSWORTH, CA – Director ERICA McLEAN’s “Hardcore Circus” has picked up a total of six nominations from the prestigious AVN Awards, a nearly unprecedented record for both a company and directorial debut effort.

“Hardcore Circus” is the first movie McLEAN has helmed outside the format of the highly successful “Barely Legal” series. (Her final installment, “Barely Legal 93,” has been nominated for Best Young Girl Release.) “Hardcore Circus” also marks the initial release from her newly formed production company Cheeky Monkey and is distributed through Hustler Video.

“Hardcore Circus” has received nominations for Best Director (Non-Feature), Best Vignette Release, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Makeup and Best Packaging, making it one of the most nominated movies of the year from Hustler Video.

ERICA McLEAN will attend The 2010 AVN Awards ceremony on Saturday, January 9th in Las Vegas, Nevada, tickets for which are available to the public now at AVNAwards.com.

“The reception to ‘Hardcore Circus’ has been both humbling and inspiring,” said McLEAN in a statement this morning. “I am grateful to everyone who worked both in front of and behind the camera on the project. Thanks to all of them for making my vision come to life and thanks so much to all of the fans who have really embraced the movie as their own. ‘Hardcore Circus’ belongs to them.”

ERICA McLEAN’s “Hardcore Circus” also earned her a nomination for Director of the Year at The Venus Awards in Berlin earlier this year.

Since the movie’s release this Summer, critics have unanimously hailed ERICA McLEAN a visionary and “Hardcore Circus” an epic masterpiece.

FleshBot.com raves: “Erica McLean’s ‘Hardcore Circus’ is a true masterpiece! McLean has outdone herself, ensnaring us into her lascivious art.”

GramPonante.com calls it: “Porn’s feel good movie of the summer! ‘Hardcore Circus’ is full of personality, not the least of which is McLean’s.”

AdultDVDTalk.com says the movie is: “Unique! Thank you Cheeky Monkey and LFP for trying something different rather than churning out the ‘same old’ porn!”

XCritic.com notes it: “A showing of decadence! …Thoroughly awesome and worth seeing – especially AUDREY HOLLANDER and OTTO BAUER’s life-changing lion taming scene!”

X Biz Magazine writes: “Erica McLean has proven herself to be massively gifted! One needs no further proof… than ‘Hardcore Circus.’”

ERICA McLEAN recently wrapped filming on her second feature for Cheeky Monkey, the highly anticipated “Alice,” an erotically charged adaptation of the famed Lewis Caroll novels.

“Hardcore Circus” is currently available at HardcoreCircusXXX.com.