Nina Paley

You know what I hate? People who think they’re better than they are. Except for me. I really am better than I am.

The original Paley Center for Media has always been located in my apartment. But now the durned Museum of Television and Radio went and used the same name. How will tourists know where to go?

My pal Ken went to Chicago for a few days, leaving me and Bruno with his adorable kitty-cat Sweetpea. Here are some pictures of them, from initial hissing and growling to shared pigeon-watching. Sweetpea went home this afternoon; we miss her.

Portland, Oregon’s Platform Animation Festival is coming up next month, and I’ll be screening over 40 minutes of the Sita Sings the Blues work-in-progress.

Friday, June 29, 2:00pm
NW Film Center Whitsell Auditorium
1219 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR 97205

You can buy tickets here. Q & A to follow, of course. Hope to see you there!

Here’s a beautiful and fascinating new film for Ramayana afficianados: Opera Jawa by Indonesian director Garin Nugroho. It’s currently doing festival rounds and specialty screenings (like the one I attended last night at the Asia Society) but hopefully will gain wider distribution. As a freaky surreal art-house spectacle it’s not really destined for mainstream audiences, but every big city and college town could handle it. If it screens near you, run don’t walk.

With all the excitement of getting food poisoning and then overhauling my blog, I forgot to mention the upcoming Art Auction for Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. It’s this Saturday, May 19th, 7pm at the Jivamukti Yoga School: 841 Broadway, 2nd floor, between 13th & 14th Streets, just south of Union Square. I’ve donated framed archival prints of these puppies:

“Pushpakh” 2007. Approx 10.5: x 13.5″, matted in 18″ x 22.5″ frame.

“Sita and Agni” 2007. Approx 10.5: x 13.5″, matted in 18″ x 22.5″ frame.

These are the very first “fine art” prints I’m officially releasing. Bidding starts at $150 and all proceeds go to help non-human animals. Barring a relapse I’ll be there, looking at art and self-righteously munching vegan hors d’oeuvres, so come and say hi.