Feature Request: Adding "Erotica" and "Surreal" to the official Genre list

Cam: While I support your idea in principle, I have some background to provide about this:

https://community-imdb.sprinklr.com/conversations/data-issues-policy-discussions/implementation-of-new-genres/5f4a7a638815453dbaa6da98

In 2010, after a discussion on the IMDb's former Contributors Help message board, the IMDb staff announced that five new genres would be established:

• Soap Opera
• Erotica
• Awards Show
• Experimental
• Lifestyle

The "Experimental" genre would have been defined something like this, similar to your proposed "Surreal" genre:

A title that explores the possibilities of film and video as art by "experimenting" with non-mainstream form and content. It often discards conventional techniques in favor of a non-linear, non-narrative structure; utilizes abstract, non-representational imagery and photographic techniques as opposed to the generally accepted production practices; and explores content from an unexpected, non-traditional, alternative point-of-view. Almost always an independent or low-budget film or video, it includes, but is not limited to, those titles also categorized as an underground-film or as avant-garde. Subjective.

However, it turned out that either (a) it was more difficult to implement the new genres than anyone thought it would be, or (b) it was such a low priority to IMDb management that nobody was ever assigned to implement the new genres. Hence, a project which should probably have been accomplished in one day went on not being accomplished for fourteen years.

Over the years, various contributors including myself kept reminding IMDb about the need to implement the new genres. Eventually, in 2024, IMDb announced that they were not going to implement any new genres at all, believing that the "interests" section of the database could be used instead.

So I don't think that the genres you proposed are ever going to happen. I am still voting up your idea, though.