Four Chambers founder Vex Ashley and Lover Management founder Helena Whittingham’s mutual desire to disrupt perceptions of sex work while championing the making of great art in unconventional places has found them aligned as friends, collaborators, professionals and (in their own words) perverts.
Both currently based in Leeds, UK, porn producer Ashley and talent manager and porn curator Whittingham recently travelled to Berlin for the internationally recognised Pornfilmfestival: a celebration of sex work on screens both big and small, in all its sweaty, sexy, breathless glory. Following a year of significant changes to so-called ‘online safety’ legislation and the exponential rise of horniness in fashion, art and culture, 10DE sat down Ashley and Whittingham — who is also a co-founder of Content Warning — to talk about sex, baby.
MB: Let’s start with Pornfilmfestival in Berlin this year — how was it?
VA: This year felt particularly significant for me. I think it was my tenth year attending, and I was initially feeling a bit ambivalent. But the awards ceremony completely renewed my appreciation for the festival. The winning short film, Cumrags, was made by queer Berlin sex workers about a dark room in Berlin. It felt incredibly meaningful to celebrate a film that represents the community’s passion, especially in our increasingly censorious cultural landscape.
Berlin’s festival is unique. Despite growing visitor numbers, they haven’t really tried to scale it. The awards are still held in this venue called Monarch. It’s rammed with people and smokey and it’s not polished or corporate at all. There were people getting eaten out on the dance floor. There were people getting naked. It still felt like it had some of that energy to it that makes it feel inspiring.
HW: I really liked how many films were collaborations between people who met at the festival in previous years. It really showcases how the festival breeds creativity — the one I’m thinking of specifically was made by JorgeTheObscene.
The adult industry conference has also become a significant part of the festival. It’s become a crucial space for information and skill sharing, discussing the challenges we face in the industry.
MB: Germany has tied parts of its cultural identity to sexual freedom and liberation over the last 100 years. In your opinion, how has it evolved?
VA: From the outside, there’s a kind of bluntness and matter-of-factness about sex work here, but there’s an interesting divide in German culture. I remember an incident in a restaurant where my friend from the Pornfilmfestival was wearing a see-through top, which caused a huge scandal. It highlights this tension between very liberal people and more conservative elements.
MB: How has technology and the contemporary culture surrounding it impacted porn filmmaking?
VA: It’s interesting how technology is integrating into porn narratives. Unlike mainstream media that avoids phone screens, porn is embracing how much of our sexual experiences now happen online. We’re seeing more integration of dating apps, sexting, camming and digital communication within porn storylines.
HW: There’s a German company called Lustery, and they basically recreated the Love Island format, but as porn — so with the sex included. It’s done really well and is super funny and actually hot as well. There are also some interesting AI developments. I saw a film about Cybrothel, which is a brothel in Berlin that uses AI and sex dolls to create immersive experiences.
MB: New age verification requirements in the UK and across Europe have hit the headlines in recent months. The Pornfilmfestival must be a welcome opportunity for those impacted to come together and discuss the shared challenges sex workers face. Are there other key issues that come up time and time again?
VA: Banking is a massive issue. Many financial institutions are reluctant to work with adult content creators. I’m still using a building society account I opened when I was 12 because I can’t get a proper business account.
HW: I’ve had multiple bank accounts shut down. There’s a sex worker accountant who deals with these issues, but it’s incredibly frustrating. Companies like Wise have repeatedly closed our accounts without much explanation. But there are small victories. During the festival this year we discovered a German bank that specifically supports sex workers and adult content creators.
MB: Is this your first time appearing in a Four Chambers film?
HW: Well yes, but there is lore! We actually first met when Vex was casting for a film she made called Maman I was doing sex work at the time and messaged about being cast. I ended up being cast in another film, but through a series of unfortunate pandemic-related events it didn’t end up happening. However, since then, we’ve worked together in various capacities — from film shoots to PR and events.
VA: Helena has been invaluable, both as a Four Chambers representative and as a collaborator. It’s been really nice to enmesh our projects and support each other’s work.
MB: What role does community in the adult industry today?
VA: I think the reality of the situation is that sometimes a screen-based digital existence feels very isolating. What’s really so important is kind of what Helena said earlier: the festival is like porn ‘summer camp’. Performers from across the world come together and you get to meet new people and reconnect with people. As a porn producer, I find it hard to book someone cold; I want to feel like I’ve met them in real life, and feel a vibe that tells me we can communicate and will have a good energy. I don’t think this is easy to replicate, unless you’re in physical space with each other.
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All images courtesy of Four Chambers.
