…there’s a long rambling and somewhat provocative guest blog by me about 2D animation vs. live action, and the rise of 3D CGI. The comments are taking my mind off bed bugs for a few minutes.

loud thumping techno music will be banned. Also all food will be eaten sitting down, not standing in a crowded room off a teensy disposable plate held in one hand and a drink in the other.

Other than that, I’m having a great time at Tribeca!

Aaron Simpson pointed me to this excellent mock-trailer:

Originally found on RichardDawkins.net, it’s a parody of what looks like a truly dumb “Intelligent Design” PR piece.

You’ll notice there’s a little clip of my short film The Stork at the beginning. No, the producers didn’t ask for permission and no, that doesn’t bother me because yes, I enjoyed the piece so much I’m honored to be included (also the clip is really brief - blink and you might miss it). But hey Sexpelled producers - get in touch anyway, I like your style.
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UPDATE: confirmed screening dates:

Copenhagen:
March 30 Empire Bio 15.00
April 6 Cinemateque 19.30
plus:
Aarhus: April 2 Ost for Paradise 18.00
Odense: April 4 Cafe Biografen 16.00

Sita is going to the NATFILM FESTIVAL in Copenhagen! Word is she’ll screen Saturday March 29 (I’ll be there!) and Sunday April 6 Cinematque at the Filmhouse in Copenhagen, but I don’t know what times yet. I also just learned one of my favorite films ever, Loins of Punjab Presents, will be at the festival too. Sita, Loins and Denmark: it’s a dream come true.

…because, much to my delight and surprise, she was listed as a TEDDY film: the GayLesbianBisexualTransgender category at the Berlinale. Films were classified as follows:

G / g : Gay
L / l : Lesbian
T / t : Transgender
GS : Gender Studies / Role Models
C : Queer Context

Sita Sings the Blues is “C: Queer Context.” The film may not be specifically pro-gay, but it’s pretty anti-het. Or maybe the film, like me, is so utterly non-straight it has to be queer. Whatever the reason, I am thrilled: queer cinema on the whole tends to be much more interesting than mainstream. Thanks, Teddy people!

to Resist Christmas! “No Shopping, No Presents, NO GUILT.” Also visit the Christmas Resistance Blog.

Go see this movie. If you’re in New York, you can catch it at Cinema Village this week. If you’re not in New York, ask your local rep house to get it.

Go! I’m not just saying this because I grew up in corn country.

This is an exceptionally moving video. Via StayFree: San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders made an announcement last week regarding same-sex marriage. If you haven’t seen it, I urge you to take 5 minutes right now and watch.

Astute reader/luncher Andrew directs our attention to this very interesting BBC series, The Trap:

Above is episode two; see also episodes one and three.

Very Similar to how sausages are made.

Nothing inspires me like my fellow heretics. Please enjoy a sample of Stand Up for Judas by Dick Gaughan.

Read the full lyrics here.

I recently heard from Stephen Wells, the Executive Director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Being on opposite coasts we can’t have lunch, but I want to endorse the ALDF anyway. Go ALDF!

Although I don’t eat meat, I’m exasperated by the suggestion that vegetarianism is effective action against animal abuse. It isn’t. Just like human abuse, the only way animal abuse is going to get curbed is by passing and enforcing laws against it. That’s what the Animal Legal Defense Fund is working toward. Something else Mike Caprio and I briefly discussed at our Eats for Endorsement, is that carnivores and omnivores can support legal reform against animal abuse too! In fact most carnivores I know are opposed to factory farming; they likes their meat, but they don’t want it to be low-quality crap flooding the markets here and abroad. Veganism is great, but not eating animals doesn’t save an animal’s life; it just means more cheap meat gets exported as domestic “farming” subsidies create “surplus.” That’s not just bad for animals, it’s bad for the humans whose markets our cheap meat floods into. So come on, everyone: carnivores, vegans, omnivores, pescatarians, vegetarians, flexitarians, live-food fruitarians, breatharians, aryans and barbarians: support the Animal Legal Defense Fund!

I wonder who they’re gonna vote for?