Queer/trans porn studio AORTA Films has launched an official website for its second feature film, "Haunted," an erotic thriller written by Carmen Maria Machado. The film explores the echoes of the queer community's past, including the AIDS crisis, within present-day queer and trans sex.
'Haunted' Explores Queer Legacies and Erotic Thrills
AORTA Films has unveiled an official website for "Haunted," its second feature film. The erotic thriller, penned by Carmen Maria Machado, delves into the lingering presence of the queer community's past, specifically referencing the AIDS crisis, and its impact on contemporary queer and trans sexual experiences. The narrative centers on filmmakers Sam, Jane, and June as they collaborate on a new project. Their work prompts a debate within the team about whether they are investigating queer legacies of loss or seeking literal spectral encounters.
According to the film's synopsis, a "lustful, trickster spirit disrupts the already tense situation with a psychosexual haunting more visceral and terrifyingly ecstatic than anyone could imagine." The film is described as exploring how "ghosts of the queer community’s past" resonate in present-day queer and trans sex, aiming to center authentic queer identities and pleasure without sanitization or fetishization.
Mahx Capacity, AORTA's Creative Director, expressed enthusiasm for the project, stating that queer porn transcends a niche within the mainstream adult industry and represents a fundamentally different genre. Capacity further elaborated that for queer individuals, porn has historically served as "liberatory political praxis," a space where the community's collective joy, grief, struggles, celebrations, and history are synthesized into an embodied, cathartic practice.
The studio also indicated that "Haunted" is the first film in AORTA's Induction Series. This program invites "visionary thinkers" to collaborate on the creation of explicit work. The series is designed to "ignite larger conversations about pornography’s historic role as a cultural instigator, media of merit and art form of significance," utilizing explicit queer sex as a tool for storytelling in an era of increasing repression.
Festival Circuit and Scene Releases Planned
As "Haunted" begins its journey on the festival circuit, AORTA Films has announced plans for a series of releases. Beginning in October, the studio will present seven recut scenes from the narrative as standalone erotic short films. These monthly premieres are scheduled to lead up to the full feature film's debut on the studio's website in 2027.
The film's synopsis further details that the project will consist of a central erotic short film accompanied by extended pornographic cuts of the movie's sex scenes. The premise has been described as a "dream come true" for fans of erotic thrillers.
Key Facts
- Studio: AORTA Films
- Film Title: Haunted
- Genre: Queer Erotic Thriller
- Writer: Carmen Maria Machado
- Release Strategy: Seven recut scenes as standalone shorts starting October, full feature debut in 2027.
- Creative Director: Mahx Capacity
