Lena Moon has been stunning hardcore gonzo audiences since 2016, and she recently received the honor of becoming Evil Angel‘s first trans director in the studio’s history. Her directorial debut for the legendary porn label, TransNasty came out last year to much fanfare and critical acclaim—setting the stage for what is sure to be a new era of unforgettable filth for the production powerhouse. Lena was nice enough to sit down with us and discuss her latest Evil Angel release, Tranimals. She also divulged how she got to where she is in the industry, the ways porn can improve its treatment of trans stars, and her new romance in this exclusive interview!
HM: Until recently, you were known as Lena Kelly; why the name change?
LM: No comment!
You’re dating another trans girl, Sarina Valentina. What can you reveal about your new relationship?
It’s new, it’s exciting. I’ve recently been opening up to new things, and trying new things, and I just ended up falling in love I guess. It’s been awesome.
That’s great. She’s a performer as well, right?
Yeah, she’s in Tranimals.
How have you been celebrating Pride Month this year, if at all?
Well I’ve honestly just been working, working, working… so, I haven’t had much time to celebrate.
It’s good that you’re able to keep busy. So you began directing for Evil Angel last year. How did that relationship come about?
I’d been directing movies before that, for about a year and a half to two years, and I was getting more and more involved in my productions. Then I met Aiden Riley and showed him some of my stuff, and got John Stag‘s email. Then I showed him some of my stuff, and I was kind of in a back-and-forth with John for about a year or so—asking him questions, learning how to improve my game—and just learning to become a better director. At some point, Aiden and I went in for a meeting to discuss a movie. We got all these details together, and then about a week later we were like, “we’re just going to scratch it and do something completely different.”
And from there I started directing movies for them and paid for everything out of my own pocket. I was just really thrilled for that opportunity.
Yeah, that’s awesome. You’re the first trans director for Evil Angel. That’s a big deal.
Yeah, I think so!
Do you feel as though the industry is becoming more accepting and inclusive of trans performers, generally?
I think the industry as a whole is. It’s really up to these agents to finally get over themselves and kinda step up to the plate; get over these old stigmas. I know all these performers who aren’t allowed to shoot with transwomen. Their agents, for some reason, think they’ll be “tainted” if they do it. It’s really just pathetic, and I’m sick of it. So, other than that, everything’s great.
Each Evil Angel label has its own unique look and style. How would you describe your own directorial aesthetic for your EA imprint?
Well, I’m a complete control freak over my movies. This is only my second movie, but I like to do things that aren’t too plot-oriented. TransNasty has no plot; it was kinda a vignette-style movie. I plan to just sorta do the things I like, and shoot the porn I like to watch. I just like to have a lot of artistic and creative control. It’s like my own brand of cinema, I guess you could say.
Speaking of TransNasty, it won Best DVD at the Transgender Erotica Awards this year. Congratulations! What do you think made TransNasty beat out the competition?
I think it was a really polished and clean movie that had an awesome cast. I worked insanely hard dotting every i, crossing every t. I edited the thing for ungodly amounts of time. I think it had a very succinct aesthetic, and the sex was great. All the actors and actresses had really great chemistry. I tried to do something universal, and it just came out sparkling. Overall I think it’s a strong movie, and I’m really glad I won.
And I’m sure you’ll win more.
I certainly hope so!
What should HotMovies fans know about your new movie, Tranimals?
It’s absolutely disgusting!
What’s something about you that your fans might be surprised to hear?
I spent about 400 hours editing Tranimals… probably more than that. That seems to be surprising everyone I’ve told so far.
Oh wow, yeah, that’s a lot.
I know.
What makes you feel sexy?
Lots of things make me feel sexy. I think I have two sides to me: a very romantic, sensual side; and a very theatrical, gutter-trash side. They each make me feel sexy in different ways. I love lace and lingerie, and romance. On the other hand, I just love filthy, disgusting stuff… like two extremes in the opposite direction. Lots of other things make me feel sexy too, like my girlfriend.
That’s sweet. What’s the nicest fan interaction you’ve had so far?
At last AVN, one of my fans came up to me and told me that I saved his life. He had tears in his eyes while he told me his story. It was so touching. It made me feel really good about my work; I didn’t realize I was reaching people the way that I was. That’s a memory I’ll have forever.
Yeah, you have a really impressive story, overcoming the struggles you have to get to where you are. I could see how a lot of people could see themselves in that.
Well, I try to be authentic and just do the things I like, while not being selfish I guess.
Yeah, I think that comes across for your fans. Okay, final question: how can your fans best support you?
Subscribing to my OnlyFans is great. It would also warm my heart for them to buy my movies and sign up for Evil Angel. Buy Tranimals, or retweet it if you don’t have money. Just show some love however you can. I really want them to like the movie, I worked really hard on it.
Watch Tranimals exclusively on HotMovies!
Follow @explicitbridget and HotMovies on Twitter and Instagram