Shakedown, a 2018 film by Leilah Weinraub, is a dreamy, stream-of-consciousness dive into the queer strip club scene of early 2000s Los Angeles, taking its name from a black lesbian strip club night where Weinraub herself worked in her early 20s. And now – after showing at various galleries, including the ICA and MoMA – it’s coming to Pornhub.
This makes Shakedown the first non-adult film that Pornhub has ever officially released, and to celebrate it will be free to stream for the entirety of March. It will also hit the iTunes store in summer.
“There’s a cool opportunity right now to present films in the art space, there’s more openness to diversity and content, and a different sort of storytelling,” Weinraub tells Variety.
Weinraub has previously worked with the porn streaming giant through Hood By Air – the filmmaker joined Shayne Oliver’s label as CEO in 2012 – resulting in a collab for its SS17 show.
“This film is part of a larger general commitment Pornhub has to supporting the arts,” Pornhub’s brand director, Alex Klein adds. “We want to be seen as a platform that artists and creators can use.”
“We’ve seen artists in general upload content to the site, that might not have a home at places like YouTube or Vimeo, who don’t permit nudity.”
The rapper Brooke Candy has previously directed an avant-garde porno for the site, while Kanye West has featured in multiple collaborations (pre-Jesus Is King, obvs), including serving as creative director for the 2018 Pornhub Awards.
In a more recent crossover, Pornhub actors hit the runway at this year’s New York Fashion Week.