Director Gregg Araki discussed his new comedy "I Want Your Sex" ahead of its opening-night screening at OutfestNEXT, addressing reports that Gen Z is having less sex and reflecting on the film's themes of desire, risk and self-discovery. Araki, marking his return to feature filmmaking after a decade in television, said the film's provocative approach reflects his own belief that sexual and romantic experiences, including painful ones, are essential to growing up and understanding oneself.

The film, co-written with "Now Apocalypse" collaborator Karley Sciortino, stars Olivia Wilde as ambitious artist Erika Tracy, who begins a BDSM relationship with her young assistant Elliot, played by Cooper Hoffman, triggering his sexual awakening with near-fatal consequences. The cast also includes Charli xcx, Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders and Daveed Diggs. Araki suggested Hoffman's 23-year-old character embodies a pandemic-shaped Gen Z outlook, citing discomfort with in-person interaction and constant filming as barriers to intimacy. The screening is significant for OutfestNEXT, which is relaunching after a two-year hiatus caused by financial and management troubles, with Araki, a past Outfest achievement award recipient, calling it a homecoming.