Finance Report

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Praise be to Laxmi!

Laxmi is both the eternal form of Sita and the Goddess of Wealth. I never really thought about her wealth aspect until now. Because my mind is so blown by the donations coming in for the 35mm master of Sita Sings the Blues.

Folks, you are kind and generous beyond my dreams. So far over $13,000 have come in. Some is from people I know in real life, but most is from people I’ve never met, mere electronic impulses from other synapses in this great hive-mind we call the Internet. I’m sitting here in awe and disbelief. I’m so grateful, so touched, so dazzled my little pea-brain can’t quite handle it. So it’s time for me to envision this as divine and offer thanks.

I thank all of you, I thank the Internets, I thank the Universe, I thank Laxmi.

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Credits deadline extension

The lab making the 35mm print master of Sita Sings the Blues has been delayed receiving the requisite film stock, due to a delivery error. That means they can’t print the final reel – with the credits – until Monday. And that means I don’t have to render the credits until Sunday. Which means anyone who wants their name in the credits still has until 10pm Sunday January 27 to make a donation! All donors will be thanked in the credits, but donors of $1K or more get a credit of their choice (Key Grip, Caterer, etc.) in a larger font.

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Your Name Here Presents

Big ups and mad props to everyone making donations large and small to Sita Sings the Blues. This is really our film, not just mine – a community project. Most films are financed by big corporations, perpetuating the top-down model of American entertainment: they dictate content from above, and audiences consume what they’re handed below. But Sita seems to be funded by viewers, individual human beings who want to see it get out there. The audience is financing this film! It’s not just touching, it’s thrilling to be part of this. Thank you!!

Everyone who donates gets their name in the credits. Donors of $1,000 or more (like lenders of $2K or more) get a credit of their choosing!

Update: Credits are locking Tuesday night. Big, big thanks to you amazing generous kind wonderful donors – a post of pure gratitude is coming soon.

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Money needed, like, now

So the good news is, Sita is in the Berlinale. The bad news is, she’s programmed in a theater that doesn’t do Digital Cinema. That means unless I have a 35mm print by February, her one and only World Premiere will be on, well…video. I can’t let that happen.

The 35mm master will still cost about $30,000 – more if we do surround sound, which is much better audio. I still need to raise $20,000. I’m looking into bouncing credit card debt – you know, putting it all on a few credit cards, then continually applying for new credit cards and shifting the balances from one to another. It would be much better if some rich person just lent me the money. Or if some supernatural being just gave me the money – but honestly, a loan would be plenty. Big ol’ credit in the film, you can attend the Berlinale with me as part of the film team, my undying gratitude…

Here are Sita‘s Berlinale screening dates, just in:

11.02.08 17:00 Kino Babylon
13.02.08 11:30 Kino Babylon
14.02.08 19:30 Kino Babylon

Let’s give all those broken-hearted Germans who are seeing the Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told on Valentine’s Day the real 35mm experience!

Tax-deductible donations (not loans) can still be made here.

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Ich bin kein Berliner

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That’s right people, I’m not a Berliner, so I can’t hit up my neighbors to offer crash pads for some of Sita’s voice artists and musicians who want to attend the premiere at Berlinale ’08. But I can hit up complete strangers in cyberspace! The festival only covers my hotel for 5 days (of a 10-day event) and isn’t covering any of the actors and musicians. If you’re in Berlin and want to hear the pitter-patter of creative feet in your guest room, please contact me! Sofas and floor mats are fine too – these are artists, used to bohemian living. Everyone who worked on Sita is sweet, talented, intelligent, mature, responsible, and lots of fun – I really lucked out.

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