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Fund This Film: ‘Air Sex’ Doc to Finally Bring Mimed Fornication to the Big Screen

By  · Published on June 1st, 2013

Fund This Film: ‘Air Sex’ Doc to Finally Bring Mimed Fornication to the Big Screen

Given that the Air Sex World Championships were co-founded by Alamo Drafthouse head Tim League and have been produced for many years by the cinema chain, it is only fair that the event is finally being turned into a movie. Titled Air Sex: Making Love Out of Nothing At All, the documentary will follow this year’s tour around the U.S. and ultimately cover the ASWC Finals in New Orleans. Shooting is actually beginning very soon, as the first stop of the East Coast leg of the tour is in Tampa on Thursday. While that month-long segment commences (see the dates here if you’d like to attend), the film’s production is raising funds through a Kickstarter campaign. And if you act fast enough with your pledge, you have a chance to be a judge at one of the scheduled competitions.

So what is air sex? Basically just what it sounds like, a pantomime act similar to air guitar but involving totally different kinds of instruments. Although sometimes the authorities are confused about what goes on and whether or not its legal, there is no nudity and no physical interaction between two or more people. Sometimes costumes and props are involved, but otherwise it appears to be all in the make believe performance by the competitors. This is actually the first I’m hearing about it, so I’m particularly intrigued by the film project at least. Even if it doesn’t wind up being a particularly well-made documentary I’d like to check it out just to learn more about the event without having to actually attend one – though maybe the film will also make me want to go see it live.

Air Sex is being produced by Brock LaBorde (Vamps; The House That Dripped Blood on Alex) and the filmmaking collective Studio 8, and directing the documentary is newcomer Jonathan Evans. Also heavily involved is Air Sex World Championships emcee and comedian Chris Trew, who additionally took on hosting duties for the Kickstarter video below. Hopefully there’s more to the film than a montage of examples and winds up being surprisingly entertaining as well as obviously fascinating, a la one of the admitted inspirations, Air Guitar Nation (see that on Hulu now if you haven’t). LaBorde offered encouragement in an email sent to FSR, stating, “We really hope to crank out a documentary that really digs into the phenomenon of Air Sex, its performers, its fans, its critics, and the modern American’s views of sexuality and humor.”

The crowdfunding campaign has another 42 days to go and has so far taken in 6% of the $15,000 goal. Chip in if you’d like to help out and want to see a documentary about people miming all kinds of sex acts. Check out the video:

Do you want to see these films? Enough to help fund it?

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Christopher Campbell began writing film criticism and covering film festivals for a zine called Read, back when a zine could actually get you Sundance press credentials. He's now a Senior Editor at FSR and the founding editor of our sister site Nonfics. He also regularly contributes to Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes and is the President of the Critics Choice Association's Documentary Branch.