The beautifully designed award plaques were lined up impressively in front of the crowd of studio heads, models and other industry members gathered for the presentation.
Hot House Entertainment founder and recent recipient of the XBIZ GLBT Lifetime Achievement Award Steven Scarborough told XBIZ that the recognition from consumers made the Maleflixx award especially rewarding.
“It means everything because that’s what the whole point's about,” Scarborough told XBIZ. “What it means is that they voted with their dollars. It’s a little bit of market research, too, because it tells us what they like. We really are thrilled. It’s the second year in a row that we’ve had movies in the top ten. I guess we have a little staying power.”
Titan Media founder and legendary director Bruce Cam was presented the award for his movie “Breathless: The Director’s Cut.”
“I’m truly pleased to receive this award from Maleflixxx. We win every time the consumer goes to the bank. Maleflixxx has certainly helped us do that. They’re great marketing partners,” Cam said.
Legendary director and Channel 1 Releasing partner Chi Chi LaRue was also a double winner for Rascal Video’s “Wrong Side of the Tracks” and Doug Jeffries “2nd Inning: Little Big League 2,” produced for All Worlds/Electro Video.
LaRue and Lucas Entertainment founder Michael Lucas hugged and kissed, as an atmosphere of celebration filled the room.
Describing “Wrong Side of the Tracks,” LaRue said, “It shows that the movie has legs. It’s probably one of the best movies I’ve ever done – the best dialogue movie I have ever done. It’s the kind of movie that has everything. It’s got a good story. It’s got characters that you care about and really hot sex. And it’s got a great leading man, Johnny Hazard.”
Lucas, whose uber blockbuster from 2006, “Michael Lucas’ La Dolce Vita,” earned yet another award, told XBIZ, “Of course, it makes me happy. Awards given by the customers are even better.”
Lucas Kazan, a relatively small producer compared to the some of the more well-known winners, took home an award for “School for Lovers,” and said, “It’s about visibility. For a small studio, how do you keep in the foreground? An award helps. The support I get from Maleflixxx helps. It’s says they love our work and that’s great.”
Maleflixxx's Brent Meredith said that the recognition from the consumers showed that the demand for high quality production was evident in each of the selected video.
"This is the second year of the Gold VOD Awards where Maleflixxx celebrates the successes of our studio partners," Eric Johnson, President of Sureflix Digital Distribution and owner/operator of the Maleflixxx global network, said. "Recipients of a Maleflixxx Gold VOD Award represent the best of the best in this new digital age and can be proud of their record breaking achievement."
The winners of the 2007 award are (in alphabetical order):
2nd Inning: Little Big League 2 - Electro Video
Breathless: Director’s Cut - Titan Media
Butch Alley - Hot House Video
Doggie Style - Jet Set Men
Fire Dance - Kristen Bjorn
Mating Season - BelAmi
Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita - Lucas Entertainment
Private Lowlife - Hot House Video
The School for Lovers - Lucas Kazan
Wrong Side of the Tracks - Rascal Video