PARROT PRESS/BLUE PLANET FILM FEST NEWS/PRESS/EVENTS - JANUARY 2010

2010-01-16T16:03:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Welcome to my first newsletter of 2010. I'm determined to get at least one done and posted every month (call it a New Year's resolution!).

Let's hope 2010 is full of progress for humans and non-humans alike!

Warm regards,
Mira

MiraTweti@ParrotPress.net
MiraTweti@BluePlanetFilmFest.com

Contents

1 - The Parrot Diaries

Blog, updates on Dewie, Leaf, Writing, Films and more

2 - Upcoming Events

Blue Planet at Go Green Expo - Jan 23 and 24

Blue Planet New York - April 23-25

Blue Planet Film Fest Santa Monica - October 7-11

3 - Latest Press

PawNation.com, InklessMagazine.com

4 - Worth Ending With...
The touching photo essay of the widowed swallow in the Ukraine is being widely circulated in emails and Internet. If it hasn't caught up with you, it ends this newsletter. It's beautiful and another great example that shows every living being is sentient.

THE PARROT DIARIES

The Parrot Diaries is what I named the first stories I wrote about life with Mango, my Rainbow Lorikeet. And they were the first of my writing to be published.

I figure it's a good title for short blogs and updates on my work that's parrot-related (there's always something parrot-related in my life) and things that aren't.

Last Monday (1/11) I finally sent my new animal welfare book proposal to my agent in New York! Talk about taking forever to get something done. In all fairness, there was a ton happening on all fronts - Blue Planet Film Fest, a teen-horror film shooting in the Mojave desert that I helped with PR (the director has a foundation to help animals which is mostly why I said yes), and the work I've been doing since October to help the South Central Farmers (SCF) get their donated land functional with a working well (if you know anyone in farm equipment, pls let me know! I'm looking for a donated tractor!).

Here are pix I took when I was up in Bakersfield, CA, over the last several weeks. These are the SCF crops on the land they're currently leasing until their own is up and running.

I connected with SCF at Blue Planet in September and even though I rarely take on time consuming human-related causes (vs animal welfare, my full-time focus) the fact that they were bringing organic produce to the inner city in an effort to alleviate diabetes and improve eating habits (ie, fresh picked organic spinach vs a Big Mac), and that they'd had the land for almost three years and couldn't farm it because there was no access to water for irrigation, made me say yes immediately.

My next book is about unusual pet rescues (i.e. sanctuaries) and I'm doing a companion film simultaneously with the the book.

Leaf, the 11-year old bay mare I rescued from the government's wild mustang auction in Prescott, Arizona last September is still being boarded at Wildhorse Ranch Rescue.

Please visit their site and make a donation if you can. The issues plaguing horses are not to be believed and few people are aware of them (much like parrots). If you'd like to donate to help defray the costs of caring for Leaf go to the Leaf page. horses will be two chapters in my book and finding Leaf a home will be part of the story - a lot like Dewie but a lot bigger and even less easy to find a home for!

Here's Leaf, isn't she a beauty! You can see her auction tag still around her neck. This is when she was loaded up and ready to go to the rescue. How they got her in the truck will be part of the book chapter. It wasn't a pretty sight.

Dewie is doing great. Still happily married. Here are some recent photos. In the first she is being held by her new father-in-law, Greg, a photographer and farmer of organic exotic fruits and veggies and a great guy.

On the left right after a worm hunt in the mud, her single favorite thing to do! On right Dewie and Hercules, her hubby taking one of their many swims throughout the day.

UPCOMING EVENTS

BLUE PLANET @ GO GREEN EXPO

Saturday January 21st and Sunday, January 22nd

Click on Film Schedule to enlarge

Two days of Blue Planet Film Fest @ Go Green Expo!

The Go Green Expo organizers invited me to program two days of films from Blue Planet 2009/2010. The Expo will be held at the LA Convention Center. Visit the Expo site for more details and please cross post!

The Los Angeles Convention Center

1201 South Figueroa Street, South Hall J

Los Angeles, CA 90015

www.lacclink.com

Business-to-Business Expo (free)

Friday, January 22, 2010 • 10am - 5pm

This day is exclusively for retail & wholesale buyers, purchasing managers & agents, government / city procurement officers and decision makers who make corporate purchases on behalf of their organizations, agencies & companies.

Open to Public

Saturday, January 23, 2010 • 10am - 6pm

Sunday, January 24, 2010 • 10am - 5pm

BLUE PLANET FILM FEST NEW YORK

Gala Fundraiser April 21 / Fest Friday, 4/23 to Sunday, 4/25

Wednesday, April 21st - Opening Night Gala @ The Arsenal in Central Park

Details should be posted by March 15th

Saturday, April 24th - Sunday, April 25th - Blue Planet New York

I'm waiting for confirmation of the five blocks of Times Square's Pedestrian Plazas to hold Blue Planet interactive events and it's looking good! I'm working with the Times Square Alliance. The Alliance supports Blue Planet and is being very supportive.

Screenings will be held in Chashama spaces around the area. Chashama is a fantastic, non-profit organization that enables the arts - performance art, installations and now a film fest, to have prime real estate to showcase in. Anita Durst, the founder, has embraced Blue Planet and connected me with Earth Day New York organizers. BP will be part of the week's events and we're going to cross promote with EDNY!

BLUE PLANET FILM FEST LOS ANGELES

Gala Fundraiser October 7 / Fest Friday, 10/8 to Monday, 10/11

BP-LA will be at the fabulous Santa Monica Bay Women's Club again this year and the fest is open for submissions through August. I've already gotten some terrific environmental and animal welfare films so our second year will great.

LATEST PRESS

I was interviewed for the PawNation piece below about companion lorikeet parrots (posted to their site 1/710) and the interview below it was for Inkless Magazine a new film/arts site I'm also contributing to.

To read, click on images to enlarge.

You can read the rest of this interview at Inkless Magazine - Little Miss Dewie: a Duckumentary

WORTH ENDING WITH...

The widowed swallow love story

This swallow's mate was hit by a car. He flew down

to protect her, covering her with his wings.

Then he fed her.

The next time he returns she isn't moving. He tries

to wake her with his foot.

He realizes she is dead and is anguished.

He shares his pain with the world.

2009-10-07T00:10:00.001-07:00

THANKS TO ALL OUR SPONSORS AND VOLUNTEERS AND EVERYONE THAT
HELPED TO MAKE BLUE PLANET A TERRIFIC SUCCESS!I couldn't have asked
for a better festival response! We got great press coverage - from local crews covering
the rehabbed pelican release on the beach in Santa Monica by IBRRC for Animal day

to three pieces in the Los Angeles Times. Including this story by Carla Hall,
Santa Monica film festival gives attendees a hands-on look at environmental issues
who covered one of our drought resistant plant workshops. Cutting edge living roof/water
conscious landscaping artist Freya Bardell of Greenmeme and master gardener
Lisa Fimiani of Giardino della Vita to raise awareness of ways to mitigate water
use for WATER day.

ParrotPress News

PARROT PRESS/BLUE PLANET FILM FEST NEWS/PRESS/EVENTS - JANUARY 2010