Anna Span
Encyclopedia
Anna Arrowsmith who works under the pseudonym Anna Span, is an English
pornographic film director
. She is also a public speaker on sex
, pornography
, and feminism
.
, the daughter of finance director Clive Thompson. She is a graduate of the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
in Fine Art (Film & Video). Her films are female-friendly based on her ideas first outlined in her 1997 dissertation 'Towards a New Pornography'.
and has made over 250 scenes to date.
Her films focus on women enjoying sex including lesbian
sex and heterosexual sex, with some bisexual sex. Other themes include sex toys, everyday objects (such as a chocolate bar or orange) being used as sex aids, threesomes, group sex
and gang bang
s. Role playing and fantasy are also common. Sometimes a character from one of her films appears in another. There is a big emphasis on reality both in script and actor performances. In her films she includes a much higher than average percentage of shots which look at the men, which she has termed 'female point of view' shots.
Arrowsmith was the 2007/8 and 2008/9 Best Director at the UK Adult Film & TV Awards, where she also won four other awards for her DVD "Hug a Hoodie". She won Best British Film Brand at The UK's trade awards - the ETO Awards in 2008. In 2007 she won 'Indie Porn Pioneer' at The International Emma Feminist Porn Awards, in Toronto
. Her film Be My Toy Boy was nominated for best Film at the 2009 ETO Awards.
In September 2007, she was the focus of a TV documentary entitled "Sex Films For Girls", made by Five, which captured her views on pornography and her film approach and featured on-set filming during the making of a film. Her father also appeared in the documentary, expressing a negative view of pornography but a very supportive view of his daughter.
She identifies sexually as bisexual. and has said, "I'm bi and looking at two women together turns me on."
She has given talks about pornography and feminism in various countries, for example at universities or film festivals. She has been a regular columnist of The Daily Sport
newspaper and the British women's sex magazine Scarlet
. She has been an active member of Feminists Against Censorship
since the late 90s.
candidate for Gravesham
in Kent for the 2010 general election. Conservative Adam Holloway
held on to the seat by a considerable margin; Arrowsmith increased the Liberal Democrat vote share by more than the regional average, but remained in third place behind Labour.
She explained her move into politics in The Observer. Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said "It's not exactly my cup of tea what she's been doing before she has put herself forward in parliament but I also think it's really important that people like her who really care a lot about her local area are encouraged to come into politics. You can't accuse her of being a cardboard cut-out Westminster politician."
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
pornographic film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. She is also a public speaker on sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
, and feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
.
Early life
She was born and raised in KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, the daughter of finance director Clive Thompson. She is a graduate of the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. The school has an outstanding international reputation, and is considered one of the world's leading art and design institutions...
in Fine Art (Film & Video). Her films are female-friendly based on her ideas first outlined in her 1997 dissertation 'Towards a New Pornography'.
Career
She had her first film aired in 1999 on UK porn channel Television XTelevision X
Television X is the name of a series of adult television channels in the UK, produced by Portland TV, a subsidiary of Northern & Shell owned by Richard Desmond, the proprietor of the Daily Express...
and has made over 250 scenes to date.
Her films focus on women enjoying sex including lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
sex and heterosexual sex, with some bisexual sex. Other themes include sex toys, everyday objects (such as a chocolate bar or orange) being used as sex aids, threesomes, group sex
Group sex
Group sex is sexual behavior involving more than two participants. Group sex can occur amongst people of all sexual orientations and genders...
and gang bang
Gang bang
A gang bang is a situation in which one person has sexual intercourse and performs other sex acts with a number of people, either in turn or at the same time. When the person has not consented to such activity, it is called gang rape or pack rape.A limited study by Joan and Dwight Dixon indicate...
s. Role playing and fantasy are also common. Sometimes a character from one of her films appears in another. There is a big emphasis on reality both in script and actor performances. In her films she includes a much higher than average percentage of shots which look at the men, which she has termed 'female point of view' shots.
Arrowsmith was the 2007/8 and 2008/9 Best Director at the UK Adult Film & TV Awards, where she also won four other awards for her DVD "Hug a Hoodie". She won Best British Film Brand at The UK's trade awards - the ETO Awards in 2008. In 2007 she won 'Indie Porn Pioneer' at The International Emma Feminist Porn Awards, in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Her film Be My Toy Boy was nominated for best Film at the 2009 ETO Awards.
In September 2007, she was the focus of a TV documentary entitled "Sex Films For Girls", made by Five, which captured her views on pornography and her film approach and featured on-set filming during the making of a film. Her father also appeared in the documentary, expressing a negative view of pornography but a very supportive view of his daughter.
She identifies sexually as bisexual. and has said, "I'm bi and looking at two women together turns me on."
She has given talks about pornography and feminism in various countries, for example at universities or film festivals. She has been a regular columnist of The Daily Sport
The Daily Sport
The Daily Sport was a tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom by Daily Sport Ltd., which specialised in celebrity news and softcore pornographic stories and images. The daily paper was launched in 1991 by David Sullivan, following its former Sunday sister title, Sunday Sport . It ceased...
newspaper and the British women's sex magazine Scarlet
Scarlet (magazine)
Scarlet was a monthly women's magazine launched in November 2004 with the tag line, "the new magazine for women who get it". It was published by Blaze Publishing Ltd, since sold to Interactive Publishing...
. She has been an active member of Feminists Against Censorship
Feminists Against Censorship
Feminists Against Censorship is a large network of women founded in 1989 to present the feminist arguments against censorship, particularly of sexual materials, and to defend individual sexual expression....
since the late 90s.
| Title | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eat Me/Keep Me | 1999 | First film |
| Pound a Punnet | 2003 | Street market Street market A street market is an outdoor market such as traditionally held in a market square or in a market town, and often held only on particular days of the week... theme |
| Uniform Behaviour | 2003 | Uniform fetish |
| Toy With Me | 2003 | |
| Take This Down | 2004 | |
| Hoxton Honey | 2004 | Set in Hoxton Hoxton Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, immediately north of the financial district of the City of London. The area of Hoxton is bordered by Regent's Canal on the north side, Wharf Road and City Road on the west, Old Street on the south, and Kingsland Road on the east.Hoxton is also a... area of London |
| A and O Department | 2005 | Medical fetish |
| Hand of the Law | 2006 | Police |
| Hug a Hoodie | 2007 | Working class/chav Chav A chav is a term that is used in the United Kingdom to describe a stereotype of teenagers and young adults from an underclass background.-Etymology:... /hoodie Hoodie A hoodie is a sweatshirt with a hood. The characteristic design includes large frontal pockets, a hood, and a drawstring to adjust the hood opening. They are sometimes worn with sweatpants. Some hoodies have zippers on them to allow easy removal much like a jacket... theme |
| Southwark Sugar | 2007 | Set in Southwark Southwark Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north... area of London |
| Be My Toy Boy | 2009 |
United Kingdom general election, 2010
Arrowsmith was the Liberal DemocratLiberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
candidate for Gravesham
Gravesham (UK Parliament constituency)
Gravesham is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in Kent for the 2010 general election. Conservative Adam Holloway
Adam Holloway
Adam James Harold Holloway is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Gravesham.-Early life:...
held on to the seat by a considerable margin; Arrowsmith increased the Liberal Democrat vote share by more than the regional average, but remained in third place behind Labour.
She explained her move into politics in The Observer. Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said "It's not exactly my cup of tea what she's been doing before she has put herself forward in parliament but I also think it's really important that people like her who really care a lot about her local area are encouraged to come into politics. You can't accuse her of being a cardboard cut-out Westminster politician."
External links
- Anna Arrowsmith's candidate site for Gravesham http://www.annaforgravesham.org.uk/
- Anna's site has VOD of all her films at http://www.annaspansdiary.com
- Anna's brand new toy site with the sex toy infomercials at http://www.annaspansextoys.com
- Easy on the Eye - Production company web site, including her early works. Note: this does not appear to have been updated since 2004 (see www.annaspansdiary.com for newer site).
- Lovegirls.co.uk interview
- An interview with Anna Span and other film directors on the Amsterdam Alternative Erotic Film Festival 2009: http://www.mailfemale.tv/ratedx/ratedx.html