Shakedown

Shakedown is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Leilah Weinraub. The film centers around a Los Angeles black-lesbian strip club of the same name in its heyday from 2002 to 2004. The film premiered in 2018 and was screened at film festivals throughout North America and Europe. In March 2020 it was released via digital streaming on Pornhub as the first non-pornographic film on the website. Synopsis The film documents a black lesbian strip club called Shakedown in Los Angeles from 2002 from the time it was shut down by police in 2004. It follows the staff including Ronnie, the club's owner and promoter, and some of the dancers. Release The film premiered at the 2018 Berlinale and was later screened at various art institutions and film festivals including the Tate, London; ICA, London; MoMA PS1, New York; Centre d’Art Contemporain, Geneva; True/False Film Festival, Missouri; Sheffield Doc/Fest, England; Images Festival, Toronto; Frameline Film Festival, San Francisco and Gavin Brown's Enterprise, New York. A shorter version was screened as part of the 2017 Whitney Biennial. In March 2020 it was released by the pornographic website Pornhub as "the first ever non-adult film" available on the site. It will be available on Pornhub throughout the month of March 2020 only. Starting in May 2020, Shakedown started streaming on the Criterion Channel as part of its “Tell Me: Women’s Stories, Women Filmmakers” series.