The 56th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival will be screening Kier-La  Janisse’s short film THE RELUCTANT ICON: A TRIBUTE TO LAURA GEMSER in its Brigadoon section on Oct 8th, 2023. Tickets: https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/en/film/2023/reluctant-icon-tribute-laura-gemser

A poignant ode to the star of the Black Emanuelle series and the real-life love story at its core, written, directed and narrated by Kier-La Janisse based on an interview with longtime Italian journalist Manlio Gomarasca. Editor Stephen Broomer’s layered visuals are punctuated by rotoscope animation by Ashley Thorpe (Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched) and handmade stop-motion sequences by Leslie Supnet, all rendered into a moody paean to one of exploitation cinema’s most beloved and bewitching stars.