Even in 2021, the adult content industry remains dominated by males. So the appointment of adult stars Misha Montana and Samantha Mack as Alt Erotic’s newest in-house directors is definitely gender equality news.
“We are revamping the company a bit with more of a women’s touch,” said Ivan, AltErotic’s CEO/Creative Director. “We feel like adding a female perspective to the team is crucial.” (Alt Erotic bills itself as “a leader in the production of alternative adult films featuring top tattooed and pierced stars.”) In their new executive positions, Montana and Mack will be booking talent, prepping and directing scenes, and editing content afterwards. Montana is also serving as Alt Erotic’s Chief Brand Officer (CBO) and Production Manager.
Montana and Mack are both adult industry veterans. Montana has been an alternative/tattoo/fetish model for the last 10 years, while Mack fostered the porn industry in Vancouver starting in 2010 and owns/operates the MACKMovies XXX content studio/site. Both have worked with Alt Erotic in the past, so stepping up into executive roles are logical career moves for both of them.
Each of Alt Erotic’s new in-house directors had her own reasons for taking the job.
For Montana, it was a dream – and career goal – come true. “I have always wanted to be involved in a leadership capacity in porn,” she said. “It’s been my goal and dream to be a top performer but also to be in a position where I could use my platform to enact real, positive changes in the industry. With these opportunities I’ve been given the chance to do exactly that. I want to give women the control of their own careers and encourage them to be actively involved in roles of leadership.”
For Mack, it was good business. “Alt Erotic and I created a content trade deal back in the winter which gives my Canadian models opportunities to be showcased on international platforms,” she told YNOT. “I’ve also been performing in a handful of threesomes and feature comedies such as Ink Motel 2 and 3. We are in pre-production on Ho Hunters 2 as well. Right now I’m working with Alt Erotic as a director on a threesome DVD called Lewd, Screwed and Tattooed.”
Despite their differing motivations, both Mack and Montana are committed to bringing a woman’s point of view to porn production.
“Statistically in the mainstream film industry, less than 10% of the top screening films are directed by women,” said Mack. “Males’ storytelling has been at the forefront of the entertainment industry for generations. As the Internet continues to deaden the taboo of watching pornography, the female audience is increasing at such an astronomical rate. It not only seems logical but necessary to encourage storytelling from a female point of view.”
“We are aware of our audience and our responsibility to them,” she added. “If we want to grow with the Internet, we need to make sure we are not excluding the fastest growing demographic that is watching our content.”
Montana is similarly motivated. “I think it’s critically important that studios and production companies have prominent, female representation,” she said. “It can be incredibly intimidating for female performers – especially newcomers — to come into a business that’s often portrayed as cutthroat and male-dominated. Having strong, professional, female leadership creates a positive and comfortable environment for other female performers to thrive.”
As for the impact of their new roles on their other projects? “I am first and always a performer; that’s my passion,” Montana replied. “It’s been difficult for me the last few months because of the physical limitations I’ve been forced to deal with after suffering from a stroke. It is an insanely busy time for me to assume these new roles but I will always rise to the challenge.”
“I don’t feel the title of Director will affect my work because I have been directing/producing/ editing/advertising my own content for over 10 years with over 1000 movies under my belt,” said Mack. “The only difference is now I have a title that better reflects the amount of work I put in to my projects. The only thing that changes with the title is people starting to understand how much work actually goes into creating adult content or movies of any kind.”
At the time of this post’s publication, both Montana and Mack were hard at work at Alt Erotic. “My first directorial and writing project is a four-part, gonzo-style series called GlamGonz,” Montana said. “My favorite style of performing is gonzo and it combines my love for the art of BDSM with glamorous, stunning porn stars who give high energy, raw performances in a romantic setting.”
“The first project I’ve been working is Lewd, Screwed and Tattooed, which features incredibly attractive tattooed models from the LA area,” said Mack. “Historically tattooed porn stars, specifically females have had a harder time securing work because of the colors they choose to put on their skin. With this DVD, we are showcasing the mouth-watering sex appeal of these performers regardless of how much ink they’re wearing.”
The Big Question: Are Montana and Mack hopeful that their promotions will inspire other studios to give more authority to women? “Absolutely!” Montana said. “That is my ultimate goal is to encourage and inspire other women and companies to follow suit and elevate women to the positions of power within this industry’”
“Not only do I hope that my work will inspire other studios to give more opportunities to women but to give opportunities to all people who are actively putting in the hours and passionate about the work,” added Mack. “As a community of filmmakers I think it’s important to encourage and inspire each other regardless of gender and I hope that the men and women hungry to expand their workload will be given the opportunities on multiple platforms. I’m very thankful that Alt Erotic is not a one trick pony studio but willing to embrace new projects new ideas and new ways of doing things.”
