"Haunted" is an explicit thriller film written by best-selling author Carmen Maria Machado and directed by Mahx Capacity. It is the inaugural project in AORTA films' Induction Series and explores ghosts as metaphors of grief within New York’s queer community.

Who wrote and directed "Haunted"?

The film "Haunted" was written by best-selling author Carmen Maria Machado and directed by Mahx Capacity, who is also AORTA’s Creative Director.

When will the full feature film "Haunted" be available on AORTA's website?

The full feature film "Haunted" will debut on AORTA films’ website in 2027, following the release of seven recut scenes as standalone erotic short films starting in October.

AORTA Films Debuts "Haunted" by Carmen Maria Machado at Oslo/Fusion

Q: What is the Induction Series?

The Induction Series is a collaboration by AORTA films designed to bring artists from adjacent creative fields into the queer porn world. "Haunted" is the first project in this series.

AORTA Films premieres "Haunted," an explicit thriller written by Carmen Maria Machado, at the Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival on September 19. The film is the first in AORTA’s Induction Series.

AORTA films, a queer/trans indie adult studio, will debut its explicit thriller, "Haunted," at the Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival in Oslo, Norway, on September 19. The film, written by best-selling author Carmen Maria Machado, is the inaugural project in AORTA’s Induction Series.

"Haunted" Premiere and Release Details

"Haunted" is scheduled for its world premiere at the Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival on September 19. The official trailer for the movie will be released exclusively on AORTA films' website, HauntedByAORTA.com, on September 16. The film is described as an explicit thriller.

Directed by Mahx Capacity, "Haunted" features a cast including Iris Eclipse, Zulu the Girl, Fae Laveau, Calba Rio, Sakina Sins, and M. Wala. The plot synopsis details "a team of documentary filmmakers who set out to investigate ghosts as metaphors of grief within New York’s queer community and unexpectedly stumble into a haunting more literal than anticipated. The spirit they awaken seems linked to the building's history, and is intent on metabolizing the crew’s tension, grief and unease into lust and pleasure."

Following its festival circuit, AORTA will release seven recut scenes from "Haunted" as standalone erotic short films, beginning in October. These monthly premieres will lead up to the full feature film's debut on the studio’s website in 2027.

The Induction Series and Creative Vision

"Haunted" marks the first project in AORTA’s Induction Series, a collaboration designed to bring artists from adjacent creative fields into the queer porn world. A studio representative stated that the series aims "to explore the depths of indie porn as a culturally resonant media of merit." The film is noted for "fusing genres of indie horror, ethical porn and grassroots filmmaking," and a studio representative added that it "encapsulates porn’s historical and multi-faceted role within queer culture."

Carmen Maria Machado, who wrote the screenplay for "Haunted," commented on the project, stating that "horror and the queer erotic were perfect bedfellows." Machado also expressed satisfaction with the creative partnership with Mahx Capacity and AORTA films.

Mahx Capacity, AORTA’s Creative Director and the film's director, discussed the role of queer porn, stating that it "goes beyond a niche of the mainstream adult industry and is a fundamentally different genre." Capacity added that "for queer people, porn is (and always was) liberatory political praxis — a place where the community’s joy, grief, struggle, celebration, and history are synthesized into an embodied, cathartic practice." Capacity also noted that "our understanding of explicit content is undeniably queer and trans," and that "the reason the far right is anti-porn is because the medium documents our community’s survival, joy and grief across decades of queer/trans resilience." Capacity concluded by stating, "When trans existence itself is called ‘obscene,’ we know obscenity is human, joyously rebellious and deeply meaningful."

A studio representative also referenced GLAAD’s 2025 film study, which found that no films tracked across 10 major distributors included a trans character. The representative stated that "premiering in a moment where both porn and trans rights are under attack, Haunted places authentic queer/trans sex at the center of the storytelling and the creative process."

AORTA Films Background and Initiatives

AORTA films is described as an "award-winning, ethical queer porn destination" that is "authentically queer," "fiercely experimental," "powerfully obscene," "rigorously care-full," and "wildly free," and "powered by mutualism." The studio's catalogue includes "hot, kinky short and feature films celebrating queer identity and exploding with destabilizing pleasure." These films are internationally award-winning and feature a wide range of bodies and identities, covering genres from "experimental fisting manifestos to mean mommy gangbangs, animated fantasies to IRL intimacy, taboo fetishes to community care, and everything in between."

AORTA films has been active in various initiatives. In March 2026, Clips4Sale sponsored AORTAlive, a live digital event series from AORTA Films. The studio also celebrated its 10th anniversary in March 2026 with a series of film compilations and events. In May 2024, AORTA Films partnered with the Excéntrico porn film festival for the ninth instance of Bedded. In October 2023, AORTA Films and Carmen Maria Machado launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign for "Haunted." Aorta Films held a casting call for "Haunted" in September 2023. In March 2022, i-D Magazine highlighted nonbinary adult content, featuring nonbinary performers and creators as "the future of porn."

AORTA films offers various access options, including free access to browse free titles and download movies à la carte. Memberships provide unlimited streaming of the full catalog, members-only exclusives, and discounts, with the stated goal of fueling sustainability and expanding the adult-film landscape. A VIP tier, launching soon, will offer free downloads, complimentary tickets to every AORTAlive event, special discounts on toys, merchandise, and community-crafted goodies, and a voice in deciding which films the studio produces next.

Key Facts

"Haunted" will premiere at the Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival in Oslo, Norway, on September 19.
The film is an explicit thriller from queer/trans indie adult studio AORTA films and best-selling author Carmen Maria Machado.
Mahx Capacity directed "Haunted," which stars Iris Eclipse, Zulu the Girl, Fae Laveau, Calba Rio, Sakina Sins, and M. Wala.
"Haunted" is the first project in AORTA’s Induction Series, a collaboration bringing artists from adjacent creative fields into queer porn.
The official trailer for "Haunted" will be released on September 16, exclusively on HauntedByAORTA.com.
AORTA films will release seven recut scenes from "Haunted" as standalone erotic short films starting in October, leading to the full feature's debut in 2027.