The Critics Adult Film Association (CAFA) was a New York-based group of East Coast adult sex film critics that bestowed awards upon those working in pornographic film during the 1980s. The awards were first presented in 1981, honoring the movies of the previous year. The first winner of the best picture award was Talk Dirty to Me (1980), starring John Leslie, who also won Best Actor.
Erica Eaton, an adult film personality since the 1970s, was the CAFA chairperson for several years, and the group of writers and critics behind the association included Colette Connor, Jack Shugg, Steffani Martin, and Will H. Jarvis.
CAFA was keen to develop a more respectable, mainstream image for the industry, leading Cheri magazine to declare, “the Critics Adult Film Awards was a gentle reminder that porn films can be measured against standards other than the Peter Meter.”
Indeed the 1984 awards ceremony was held at Sardi’s in Manhattan, an historic restaurant located in the Theater District. Sardi’s opened in 1927 and is known for the hundreds of caricatures of show-business celebrities that adorn its walls.
After the seventh annual awards in 1987, CAFA faded away as did the New York-based adult film industry, overtaken by California, the new center of porn production.
The Rialto Report was recently given a collection of previously unpublished photographs from the 1984 event that we’re pleased to share.
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The Critics Adult Film Awards (1984)
The 1984 Critics Adult Film Awards went to:
Best Film:
Irresistible
Best Actor:
John Leslie – Talk Dirty to Me 2
Best Actress:
Veronica Hart – Roommates
Best Supporting Actor:
Jamie Gillis – Roommates
Best Supporting Actress:
Tied between Lisa De Leeuw – The Blonde Next Door and Sharon Mitchell – Blue Jeans
Best Director:
Chuck Vincent – Roommates
Best Erotic Scene:
Tied between Roommates (Kelly Nichols and Ron Hudd) and Talk Dirty to Me 2 (John Leslie and Nicole Black)
Erica Eaton (partially obscured), Ron Sullivan
Danielle with Harvey Shapiro, editor of Harvey magazine
Tanya Lawson, Fred Lincoln, Tiffany Clark
Harvey Shapiro (editor of Harvey magazine) Tanya Lawson, Fred Lincoln, Tiffany Clark
Gloria Leonard, Tiffany Clark, Samantha Fox, Al Goldstein
Gerard Damiano, Tanya Lawson, Ron Jeremy
Vanessa Del Rio, David Davidson
Anthony Spinelli, Gerard Damiano
Anthony Spinelli, Gerard Damiano
Ron Sullivan (aka Henri Pachard)
Anthony Spinelli, unknown, Jim Holliday, Danielle
Erica Eaton, Jack Wrangler, Richard Milner, Candida Royalle
Pat Reshen (right)
Fred Lincoln, Al Goldstein, Erica Eaton
Cracking set of pics… aaah Suzy Nero – wherefore art thou?
(And please do an interview with The Rialto Report….!?)
She’s in NYC in a committed relationship and out of the business. Her significant other likes it that way and from I have heard she is happy
So good to see all the old crew looking so young, healthy and vital again.
This would have been one of the last of the New York gatherings of the porn industry, and there is no sign here of the impending end of the east biz…
Looks like yesterday.
Great pictures of Al, and Ron sporting a healthy tan!
Damn – I wanted to be the first to comment this week!
Great picture of Damiano and Spinelli – two of the all time greats together!
fred’s roots are showing.
Yeah, but he’s sporting a luxurious headfull of silver locks.
I agree these pictures look like they were taken yesterday, and so they have a poignancy to them…. especially as many of those featured have passed on.
Good to see the lesser known Tanya Lawson there too. Beautiful person.
That was a stellar night! Nice Rialto Report to share these. In the photo of me, you can see, I was behind the camera. I was working as much as a photographer as a porn star at that time. Taking photos for many magazines. One day I’d love you to mine my photos and put some up on Rialto report. Looking at these photos, I wish I had been in my porn star personae that night! But they don’t call me the “Renaissance woman of porn” for nothing. I did it all!
Yes Annie…please share your pics too!
Yes, I second that too!
Annie, I went with my ex-boyfriend to see you more than 20-years ago to an art space in Manhattan where you enacted a breathing orgasm on the floor of the venue. Talk about a Show-Stopper! Please do share your photos with us. Along with what The Rialto Report is doing, this is history that HAS to be seen!
Yes you did Annie! And thanks for reaching out to me and saying we are all as one once we got in this business. I retired early but they were some of the best 4 years in my life. Real good people with heart, talent and a je ne sais qua about life. God bless you, Annie and a toast to all of the golden age!
R.I.P. Gloria & Jack. Never seen Sharon Kane with dark hair before. Nice. Looks like tons o’ fun.
Annie Sprinkle—Thanks for your tremendous work and contribution to the Adult Industry.
Back in that era, my mother always asked why my tube socks vanished. You were
the cause of the disappearance but I always blamed it on the washing machine.
Vanessa Del Rio had to have worked out regularly back then!
Talk about statuesque!
Love seeing photos of the industry from the early 1980s. Everyone looks professional and happy, like a big family. Especially love these photos of Samantha Fox and Ron Sullivan. By the looks of it, Sharon Kane embraced the 80s well.
Thank you for the wonderful stroll down memory lane. So many of the people are no longer with us–Candida, Gloria, Ron, Spinelli, Al, Fred…And thankfully, most are still here, like Annie, Jose, Sue, Samantha, etc…looks like everyone had a blast!
Er..I think Ron (Jeremy) is still alive.
Yes, Ron Jeremy is very much alive. Saw him a few years ago in my hometown Ayca. I believe Cathy is referring to Ron Sullivan a.k.a. Henri Pacard.
A fantastic guy, great director. Had the pleasure of working with Ron in a few projects. Mascara , Lydia Lace are two that come to mind. A real pro director
It was my first year in the industry, had a great time at Sardi when Vanessa told me we were going to work together.
Nice to see all those old friends .Thanks
I think we crossed paths at Bernards once Jose. I was going to audition for Damiano/ Annie for Alpha Bleu. Had lunch with Taija Rae and I believe it was you who she introduced me too. Damn, some things you remember like yesterday.. Others not so much 🙂
You had a long career. Congrats on staying with it! Are you still involved? I may make a geriatric comeback for shits and giggles! Who knows? The Rialto Report is flooding thoughts of a comeback. Old fart sex. Yeppers. What do you all say? Lisa DeLeeuew? Sue Nero? Stash Fox? I bet all the fans would come onboard:-)
Ron, Annie, Jim South if you’re still alive. Give a call. Ashley knows how to reach me. I’m half serious ( or delirious )
#neversaynever
Wow, it’s almost like Night of a 100 dead stars, so many of these legends are no longer with us. Vanessa looks stunning here
Miss Sprinkle, any contribution to this site would be amazing! I hope everyone could get together and make it happen! Big fan!
LOVE the picture of Sharon Kane. Hoping and praying Sharon is well and will be featured in an upcoming RIALTO REPORT!
thanks for these. that’s the year one of my favorite films won best film (roommates)
Roommates was a great film. Lovely to see healthy and vital and happy most people who’ve passed away Freddie, Al, Jack, Ron, Damiano. Fred looks remarkable with the long hair and remarkably sober as far as I can tell. Thanks guys at rialto.
Of course Candice and Gloria too, both of them looking stunning. I focused on the guys.
Awesome report. Some of mine and Trudie’s favorite porn stars.
Nice photos. By the way, CAFA was still around in 1988, meeting at Manhattan Video, to organize opposition to the forthcoming Record Keeping Act.
wow! isnt that Rocky DeLorenzo with Trish Ambrose?
Her husband Dave Ambrose is on the right I believe. Seem to remember him with a ” fro”
Any chance of a Samantha Fox interview?
Such great pics. Bittersweet seeing those who no longer walk among us but so nice to see the gang.
There are several photos of David Davidson throughout your site. Does anyone know if he’s still alive?
David died many years ago from AIDS. We knew his partner and business associate, who gave us a comprehensive interview about him, and confirmed the details about his death.
Thank you for responding, Ashley! David was also close to Christa Helm. They were both part of Oddities modeling agency (I have a poster that displays the two of them together). He factored pretty prominently in Christa’s life in NYC just two years before her murder (around 1971-75). Pretty scandalizing stuff. In researching my book on her, I’ve found a lot of info about him. But I wasn’t sure if he was still around. Thank you for the info! If you’d like an image of the poster, just shoot me an email at moviegeeksunited@yahoo.com.
Joyce Snyder
Where art thou? Seem to recall you living on maybe 14th Street with the gal from Georgia named Emily. Weren’t you all from Georgia? I always thought you were the inspiration for Julia Sugarbaker on Designing Women. In my case, it was great to be young and dumb and in New York.