Director and Sssh.com founder Angie Rowntree announced today that her short film, Alla Prima, has been named a “Finalist” in the shorts category at the 2019 Next Level International Film Festival, and an “Offical Selection” at both Seattle Erotic Cinema Society (“SECS”) Fest film festival and International Shorts Film Festival held December 2, 2019.

“I’m deeply honored that Alla Prima was recognized by these film festivals. We’ve had such a positive reaction to the film,” Rowntree said.

Rowntree gave high praise to the art film’s two stars. “Ava Mir-Ausziehen and Malcolm Lovejoy are both brilliant artists. Their performances perfectly capture the connection, trust and mutual fervor I strive to communicate in an erotic scene,” the director said.

In the film, Mir-Ausziehen and Lovejoy’s combined bodies create a live painting that changes in form and color with each touch, kiss, and caress.

“One of the things that makes Alla Prima unique is that the color depicts desire. The more passion the performers felt, the more color came into frame,” Rowntree explained.

The concept for Alla Prima, as with all of Sssh.com’s films, was suggested by a member of the site. “When [a member] suggested creating a painting using the human body as a paintbrush, I loved the idea,” Rowntree said.

“I hesitate to describe the film too much, because the story is meant to be told through the visuals, and the story it tells each viewer is a little different,” the director said.

Alla Prima is Rowntree’s latest attempt to break free of pornographic norms. In recent years the director has earned accolades for Sssh.com’s groundbreaking adult films, including the 2017 sci-fi feature Invictus (Delirious Hunter and JoeyDotRawr) and 2015 drama Gone (Madeline Blue and Gee Richards), both mainstream film festival favorites.

Alla Prima screened earlier this year at Brown University, followed by an in-depth discussion with the filmmaker.

Adult film reviewer Patrick Parker called the film an “outstanding and unique scene,” that “redefines what constitutes pornography.”

The painting created in Alla Prima will be donated to SWOPNH’s (Sex Workers Outreach Project New Hampshire) upcoming fundraiser.

The Alla Prima trailer is available at Sssh. For more information about Rowntree, Sssh or Rowntree’s other films, please contact press@sssh.com. Please send business inquires to editor@sssh.com