Mimi: I like you! — Nina Paley

"Yes, I know bad bad people can also use the .fla files for dastardly deeds (the dreaded hypothetical “Nazi Porn Version” that always comes up at Q&A’s). Bad bad people can use our shared Language and Technology for evil too, but I’m not going to constipate culture out of fear of imaginary worst-case scenarios. I’m confident much more good will come from this than bad, and that’s motivation enough for me. It’s Free Culture, baby. If programmers can tinker with the Free Software’s source code, artists can tinker with Sita Sings the Blues‘ source files."

"Because I didnt sell it to a distributor, it can be in lots of film festivals. Its been in, I think, at least 200 festivals, its won more than 35 awards which is great. I like that! If I had gone with a distributor they would have immediately said no to film festivals which I do not understand why distributors do, but thats what they do."

"Copying is not theft Stealing a thing leaves one less left Copying it makes one thing more Thats what copyings for. Copying isnt theft If I copy yours, you have it too One for me and one for you Thats what copies can do. If I steal your bicycle, You have to take the bus But if I just copy it, Theres one for each of us! Making more of a thing That is what we call copying Sharing ideas with everyone Thats why copying... ...Is fun!"

"I dont think distributors are cheating or evil or anything like that, I just think that the business model is unsustainable so they truly dont have money. Theres just not much money in this particular model."

"Total box office so far has been $22,350 … that trickles down to $3,000 for me. Which really isnt much, but its fine. People are seeing the film and theyre seeing it the the way it should be seen. I do not feel like the distributors are ripping me off. I feel like this is the model of film distribution and this is the reality of it and fortunately my income is not dependent on it."

"You dont deserve to be paid because you choose to do something that somebody else may, or may not, want. If you want to be paid for your work, you negotiate that beforehand. Otherwise I would just be walking around talking. Here I am talking now. "You owe me money", right? … Its up to you whether or not you want to do work with no contract. I think artists do need to do work with no contract, because what were motivated by is not money. Were motivated by a need to express ourselves and to get our ideas out. Thats the motivation. It turns out that when people like it they frequently will support you if you give them a means, but this is not a contract."