"Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita" Sets 14-Win Record at 2007 GAYVN Awards

SAN FRANCISCO - Capping an astonishing night at the Castro Theatre, "Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita" made GAYVN history tonight with wins in 14 categories, including Best Picture, at the annual ceremony.
Though it's not unusual for individual movies to be rich in nominations, it is extremely rare for a movie to garner double-digit wins. The previous record holder, Buckshot Productions' "BuckleRoos," won 11 awards in 2005.
"Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita" has the further distinction of winning an award in every category in which it was nominated.
In addition to Best Picture, "Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita" was awarded trophies for Best Actor (Michael Lucas), Art Direction, Best Director (Michael Lucas and Tony Dimarco), DVD Extras/Special Edition, Editing (Frank Tyler), Marketing Campaign, Music (Nekked), Non-Sex Performance (Samantha Samson), Packaging, Screenplay (Tony Dimarco), Supporting Actor (Spencer Quest), Threesome (Jason Ridge, Michael Lucas, Derrick Hanson) and Videography (Tony Dimarco).
In the wake of the Lucas Entertainment juggernaut came Hot House Video with four wins: "Black-n-Blue" captured the Best All-Sex and Best Leather awards; Ty Hudson and Shane Rollins garnered awards for Best Oral Scene in "Justice"; and Kent North's performance in "At Your Service" took the Best Solo Performance prize.
Two of the most prestigious awards are for Best Newcomer and Performer of the Year. Matt Cole, who was nominated in both categories, was named Best Newcomer, and Titan exclusive François Sagat was voted Performer of the Year.
Paul Barresi's powerful performance as a porn-lord in Falcon Studios' "The Velvet Mafia" was awarded Best Non-Sex Performance in the evenings only tied category. Falcon also picked up the Group Scene award for the final orgy in "Spokes 3."
Once again the Best Sex Comedy award went to a Jet Set Productions movie, this year's winner, "Going Under."
Lucas Kazan's "The School for Lovers" was named Best Foreign Release and picked up a second trophy -- Best Actor - Foreign Release -- thanks to Jean Franko's performance.
The Best Sex Scene -- Duo award went to Brad Patton and Brian Hansen for their work in Buckshot Productions' "Manly Heat: Quenched." Another COLT Studio Group title to win was "MinuteMan 28" in the Best Solo Video category.
Channel 1 Releasing's two awards were for "Bi Back Mountain" (Best Bisexual Video) and "Delinquents" (Best Renting Title of 2006). Both movies were from its All Worlds Video brand and both were directed by Doug Jeffries.
The year's Best Ethnic-Themed Video award went to "The Show 1-2," a co-production of Dark Alley Media and Pitbull Productions. Raging Stallion Studios' "Manhattan" won the Best Ethnic-Themed Video -- Latin trophy.
First-time winners included "Lebanon" (Best Pro-Am Release) from new company Collin O'Neal Productions; Dink Flamingo, whose "Rear Gunners 2 (Active Duty)" took the Best Amateur Release award; and BG East, a wrestling/ fetish company, which won the Best Specialty Release award for "X Fights UK XXX."
Other specialty category winners include Titan Media's "Folsom Filth," (Extreme) Bel Ami's "Out in Africa 2" (18-23), and Pantheon Productions' "Rough & Ready (Bears)."
The documentary from Wolfe, "Gay Sex in the '70s," won in the Alternative Release category, and Gorilla Factory Productions' of Peter Berlin classic "Nights in Black Leather" was voted Best Classic DVD.
One of the nights most noted awards was given to '60s/'70s gay icon Berlin as he was inducted into the GAYVN Hall of Fame. Porn pioneers Steven Toushin and Kathryn Reed, director/studio chief Chris Ward, and performers Chase Hunter and Ray Dragon were also inducted during the award festivities.
Awards-show host, comedienne Kathy Griffin, was also presented with a trophy naming her Honorary Gay of the year.
from Press Release

Porn Maker Michael Lucas Sued Over 'Dolce Vita' Title

NEW YORK - The good name and dignity of the classic 1960s film "La Dolce Vita," directed by Federico Fellini, is being stripped away by two pornographic movies using the same name, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.
International Media Films Inc. accused New York filmmaker Andrei Treivas Bregman of trademark and copyright infringement for the porn films he made under his business name, Michael Lucas. The lawsuit seeks to stop sales of the movies, "Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita" Parts 1 and 2, and to collect unspecified damages.
Bregman, who moved to the United States from Moscow in 1997, called the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan a joke.
"Nobody can be confused and think they're buying Fellini's movie by buying mine," said Bregman, noting the name Michael Lucas was part of his title, which otherwise means "The Sweet Life."
New York-based International Media Films said it believed the gay pornographic films, released last month, will "infringe, tarnish and dilute" its trademark rights to the highly decorated "La Dolce Vita," which won the 1961 Academy Award for costume design and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for best foreign film of that year.
"La Dolce Vita," with its famously sexy scene of Anita Ekberg coaxing Marcello Mastroianni into the Trevi fountain, also won the Golden Palm at Cannes. Fellini won a lifetime achievement award in film in 1993, shortly before his death.
International Media Films said it bought "La Dolce Vita" in 2001. The film introduced the term "paparazzi" as it followed the life of a tabloid journalist who covers the show business life of Rome while yearning to write about more serious subjects.
from The Associated Press