Internet Adult Film Database The IMDb of Adult Cinema

The Internet Adult Film Database (IAFD) is a comprehensive online repository of information pertaining to the pornography industry. It serves as a detailed archive of actors, actresses, directors, studios, distributors, and pornographic films, acting as a central hub for industry data.

History and Evolution

The roots of the IAFD can be traced back to 1993, with a predecessor called Abserver, an email- and FTP-accessible database of adult film actresses created by Dan Abend. The IAFD itself was conceptualized by Peter van Aarle, who had been collecting data on adult movies since 1981, using index cards and notes from publications like Adam Film World.

In 1993, van Aarle collaborated with Dan Abend and later with Ron Wilhelm (known as "Heretic"), who used the project as a training ground for SGML programming. The first version of the IAFD went online in 1995. However, after Wilhelm's departure to join the military, the site suffered from "link rot" and eventually went offline.

The Relaunch and Modern Era

In 1998, Jeff Vanzetti, a co-moderator of the newsgroup rec.arts.movies.erotica (RAME), approached van Aarle to resurrect the site. Vanzetti, seeking to teach himself SQL Server database programming, partnered with van Aarle to relaunch the IAFD under its own domain. The relaunch began in early 1999, initially restricting data to movies released after 1989 to preserve the value of the most difficult-to-compile older data for potential commercial use.

Peter van Aarle passed away on September 18, 2005, but his legacy continues. In 2011, he was posthumously inducted into the XRCO Hall of Fame.

Operational Model and Data Integrity

The IAFD operates on a community-driven but editorially controlled model. While users can submit corrections via forms, these are not automated. A "team of editors" manually reviews every submission to ensure accuracy and prevent the site from becoming a repository of inaccurate user-generated content.

The site maintains a strict policy regarding the performer's privacy; they generally remove real names of adult film performers to avoid linking their stage names to their legal identities, unless the information was already publicly available on a box cover.

Research and Media Impact

The IAFD has become a critical reference for journalists, authors, and academic researchers. It is frequently quoted by industry trade publications such as Adult Video News (AVN) and XBIZ.

Case Study "Deep Inside"

In 2013, freelance journalist Jon Millward released a study titled Deep Inside: A Study of 10,000 Porn Stars. Using data sampled from the IAFD, Millward compiled a profile of the "average porn star," finding that the typical female performer was a five-foot-five-inch brunette with B-cup breasts. This study was later featured on Playboy.com.

Revenue Model

The IAFD generates revenue through sponsor-funded ad banners and affiliate commissions from products purchased through the site.