Rev. Laird Sutton on erotic films

KPIX-TV news footage from November 21, 1974 with reporter Eric Smith features brief scenes from an interview with the Rev. Laird Sutton, who together with Ms. Salli Rasberry opened the first annual therapeutic-erotic film festival at the International Museum of Erotic Art at 540 Powell Street, on Wednesday 20 in San Francisco. Sat at a film inspection table, Sutton states: "The erotic film has a lot of artistic intergrity to it. Though some pornographic films certainly have artistic integrity too. The line is very fine: I can't draw it but I know it when I see it." When Smith asks: "Do you think we're ever going to see a day when we have erotic films in churches throughout the land?" Sutton replies: "Well they have as much place in church as they do any place else." The festival program consisted of 9 films, including Sutton's own 'Ripple of Time' and the first prize winner 'Voodoo'. Ends with silent views of erotic art installations in the museum. Opening graphic designed by Carrie Hawks.

There is an article about this film festival written by John L. Wasserman in the November 22, 1974 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, on p.15.

Note: Sex Nerd Podcast explored the works of Laird Sutton in their podcast from September 13, 2021 Experimental Film Making, and where have the Hippies gone presented by Dr. Victoria Hartmann, Executive Director of the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas, NV.

This 16mm reversal film print was transferred in 4K (4096 x 2970) using a Lasergraphics ScanStation film scanner, in October 2022.