Alicia Topolnycky | Intimacy Coordinator

My goal is to empower artists to safely and efficiently craft intimate scenes which will deepen their storytelling.

I do this by bringing choreography, consent-centered practices, and dedicated support to all phases of film/tv and theatre productions.

Why hire an Intimacy Coordinator?

Actors perform best when they can trust they are supported, and production goes smoothly when awkwardness is replaced with expertise.

Hi, I’m Alicia.

I’m an experienced IC working on student, independent, and studio productions in Austin, TX and beyond.

I have choreographed for the screen and stage many forms of simulated intercourse/outercourse (between queer, genderqueer and non-queer characters in both pairings and groups), as well as other scenes (such as non-sexual nudity, dance, and body horror). I have also collaborated with stunt coordinators and fight directors to stage scenes of intimate violence. I will consider compensated travel to any location.

I am currently booking new projects!

 
 
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As your IC, I am a…

  • Collaborator always adapting to serve your process, vision, story

  • Consent educator helping actors find and voice their boundaries

  • Mediator ensuring smooth communication between crew and cast

  • Facilitator of modesty garments, barriers, and hygiene on-set

  • Performers’ movement, voice, and connection/chemistry coach

  • ‘Co-director’ capable of giving non-awkward performance notes

  • Masking expert capable of assisting DPs to sell the shot

  • Moderator to ensure closed-set protocols and decrease liability

  • Dedicated actor advocate with minimal conflict of interest

  • Mental health first-aider prepared to triage and find licensed help

 

What clients are saying

Testimonials

Alicia was the voice I needed on-set.

She supported me through any discomforts I had. An Intimacy Coordinator is so so so so important for everyone involved, even for ‘short’ moments of intimacy. Boundaries are important. I don’t know what we were doing without ICs.

I’ve gotten to work with Alicia on three sets now and damn I’m so grateful for her expertise. She creates an incredibly safe environment and is simply amazing.

—

Sarah Bartholomew, Actor, Flicker

Our film wouldn’t have been possible without her.

Alicia is pioneering the screen intimacy world in Texas indie film. Our film wouldn’t have been possible without her and her hard work on our 22 (!!) intimate scenes.

—

Fernando Andrés, Director, Three Headed Beast (Tribeca 2022)

Alicia was a joy to have onset. She's a team player, a generous collaborator, & a brilliant mind.

She choreographed the intimacy sequences while honoring the worlds of the characters & the tones of the script, offering creative ideas that the team had not yet seen. Alicia gave the actors tools for energetic, physical & sexual boundaries. She championed their privacy, ensuring that the set was closed to all but the skeleton crew. She would check in with the well-being of the actors as they were immersed in character. We loved having Alicia on Honey & Milk and would recommend her to anyone!

—

Jennifer Parkhill and Damian Quinn, Writers & Actors, Honey & Milk

Working as a director with Alicia was so easy.

She is a wonderful person & watching her guide the performers through some pre-scene intimacy exercises made me feel very reassured during filming that everything was rehearsed & at the same time comfortable for both actors. Not only did she ensure the actors were comfortable & safe, she provided body language direction that supported our characters’ inner details & desires.

I would highly recommend having an Intimacy Coordinator on your sets, & Alicia Topolnycky brings the best energy & sincerity to the job.

—

Zachary Bayne Dyck, Director, Flicker

Alicia is a clear leader, a gracious interpreter, and just overall an awesome human to be around.

She made me and the talent feel so safe working together, and beautifully interpreted my creative vision into her work. I am more convinced than ever of just how important having an Intimacy Coordinator is.

—

Maria Forsythe, Director of Photography, Touchy-Feely

I will recommend Alicia for every future project I work on- she is truly the best!

Without Alicia’s patience, attention to detail, and genuine care for our cast in rehearsal and on set, this film would not be the same.

—

Cody Shook, Actor, Three Headed Beast (Tribeca 2022)

Portfolio

Recent Press Features

 

NBC News

Queer films at this year’s Tribeca Festival will ‘go deeper’ than coming out stories

“One of the festival highlights is the world premiere of "Three Headed Beast," the first feature film from filmmaking duo Fernando Andrés and Tyler Rugh, both 24-year-old Austin, Texas, natives. The poetic drama delves into the relationship of a Texas-based, long-term bisexual couple in an open relationship. The pair is on the verge of closing their relationship when its foundation starts to show its cracks.”


The Village Voice

What We Talk About When We Talk About the Tribeca Film Fest

“Better, and certainly less ambiguous in its thrust, is Fernando Andrés and Tyler Rugh’s Three Headed Beast, an ingenious micro-movie about three bi Gen-Z Texans (Jacob Schatz, Dani Hurtado, and Cody Shook) vexed by their devoted entanglement in open relationships.”

IndieWire

Tribeca 2022: 8 LGBTQ Films We Can’t Wait to See at This Year’s Festival

“Austin-based co-directors Fernando Andrés and Tyler Rugh make their feature debut with an lyrical erotic drama about the various entanglements behind one open relationship. Shot and set in their hometown, the film doesn’t over-explain the details of unconventional relationship structures, presenting the film’s various intimacies with a straightforward perspective. This sophisticated sensibility extends to the visual storytelling as well, which grounds its more experimental cinematic choices with naturalistic performances.”

The Austin Chronicle

Austin Filmmakers Take Their Three Headed Beast to Tribeca

"If there's a moral to be taken from the fact that Austin-made sexual drama Three Headed Beast is getting its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, it's to never give up.

Directors Fernando Andrés and Tyler Rugh almost did. After all, they knew it would be a tough sell: an experimental and sexually frank story of two people in an open relationship, with no dialogue for most of its duration.”

Check out my Instagram for free resources, on-set BTS, and sneak peeks at my upcoming projects.

Our feature film is in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival, world premiering in NYC as one of 10 films in the US Narrative Competition. Our project. Our stories. Our hearts. Our bodies. Screening three times at one of the most prestigious film
My absolute favorite affirmation for Intimacy work. An oldie but a goodie from @theatricalintimacyed. If you're an intimacy coordinator, did you know they also have merch with this phrase on it?? #notsponsored 😂 . . . . #intimacycoordinator #int
And to round out my content pillars with one final menu... when you follow this account, prepare to be inspired! I absolutely adore the term #wintimacy, coined by IDI folks like @theatre_warrior in 2018. It's a mix of the words "win" and
Today's menu consists of some delicious analysis of the Intimacy Coordination industry, and of all sorts of intimacy that appears on our screens. What show would YOU like to be the start of my scene/script analysis series? . . . . #intimacycoor
What a 👻thrill👻 to shoot and wrap on @flicker.mov last week! This horror short film involved an intimate kissing scene and a scene with undress/potential nudity. Much more behind the scenes content from Flicker to come. The seed&spark is stil
On the menu for this Intimacy Coordination account: all that juicy behind-the-scenes content you crave! Do you think actors and other filmmakers are always honest when they're asked about their "craziest on-set story?" . . . . #intim
Actors with external genitalia, make sure you save this cheat sheet for later reference! "What if I get an erection?" is one of the number one questions I get asked by actors. And here's the answer! If you'd like to learn more about the