4th Annual ‘New York Cat Film Festival’ Features Short Films That Celebrate Felines

If you’re a cat lover and short film aficionado, you’re in luck! The fourth annual NY Cat Film Festival is playing in select cities from the end of October 2021 to the beginning of November, and it’s looking to be quite the feline soiree.

The festival will feature a “series of short films that celebrate the fascination with our enigmatic feline companions,” says the Boston Globe.

Everything from phone videos to works from accomplished filmmakers make up the 22 selected short films for this year’s program. This includes mini-documentaries, narrative stories, and even animations, all celebrating feline companionship with genuine earnest.

“These are the opposite of cat videos that mock and laugh at cats,” says Tracie Hotchner, a pet wellness advocate, author, and radio host at Radio Pet Lady Network.

“Some of them are very funny, but they’re usually about cats making fun of people,” Hotchner describes. “I like to show the depth and breadth of who a cat is and feels and what he wants. These are films made with intention… to express appreciation and respect for cats.”

What Sort Of Cat Stories Can You Expect?

According to the Globe, this year’s selections include silly and heartfelt tales, slice-of-life offerings, and plenty of relatable felines in lockdown films.

There’s “Zach the Cat,” an animation of a classic Olde English 19th-century tale; “The King O’ the Cats,” a voice-over noir parody about a cat and his human’s love troubles dubbed ‘Feline Noir’; and “Quarantine Diary,” which features the meanderings of cat quite affected by his human never leaving the house.

Hotchner curated the 22 films from a batch of 72 submissions, apparently up from 50, in recent years.

“In previous years, we had many academic documentaries,” says Hotchner. “This year reflected that people were sequestered with their cats and it inspired them to turn their cameras and iPhones on their cats to tell the cats’ stories or the story of COVID through their cats’ eyes. They really recognized the self-hood of those cats.”

A Cat Film Festival For A Great Cause

Cat lovers rejoice. The fourth annual NY Cat Film Festival, which celebrates the fascination with our enigmatic feline companions, returns this year to Cambridge’s Kendall Square Cinema Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. https://t.co/p6UXvlklWm

— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) October 26, 2021

Hotchner’s goal with the cat film festival is not just to entertain, but to educate, inspire, and support organizations she believes in within the feline community.

The best part is you don’t need to live in New York to see the film festival. The 90-minute program is scheduled to tour more than 100 cities.

“I want to raise the status of cats in our society and reinforce the importance of cats in our lives, whether they live on a street or in a home,” Hotchner says. “They are not decorative items on the back of a couch, but soulful, complex creatures… very dignified and serious with deep internal lives.”

Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Products is sponsoring the event, and a portion of all ticket sales will benefit Cat Connection, a local rescue shelter. Head to the film festival’s website to check out dates, times, and locations!

Have you ever attended a cat film festival? Are you planning to visit the New York Cat Film Festival this year? Let us know in the comments below.