I was at Bunnings this week and normally see dog owners taking their best mates to assist with the shopping. This time it was a proud cat slumped over the shoulders of its owner, surveying the environment as they rode up the escalator. I could see it wasn’t its first visit. Thought it inappropriate to video yet thinking it would have been perfect for Cat Video Fest.
In its sixth year and for a limited season only, director Will Braden has sourced a painstaking 15,000 videos in one year purely for CatVideoFest.
Committed to bringing the joy of cat idiosyncrasies to the masses, whilst doing good for the worldwide community of people working to help cats in need. This has been the case in the US since the Festival commenced in 2019 and has captured people’s hearts around the world.
You don’t need to be a cat lover to enjoy this year’s Cat Video Fest 2024. The flowing captures of cat antics mean you laugh a lot. Added to the fun are quirky captures or comments by the videographers.
I think my funniest was the Bengal cat running into the mirror, stops, arches its hair-raised back then stops and stares, mesmerized by his mirror image. The comment “you really are beautiful”.
There are sad reflective moments where the lonely French cat articulates his true feelings. His French was fluent and I appreciated the English subtitles.
Oh and then the cat who pawed his owner every time they reached for their glass of red wine.
Then there was Blaze, the rescue kitten. Her story touched my heart as she transformed from wild to treasured, albeit took time for her to trust after surviving alone in desolate streets. And how could we not love darling Humphrey who suffered from a congenital eye condition, rescued by his loving musical mum. Beautiful feel-good stories.
The Story
CatVideoFest is a 75-minute-reel of cat videos that is family-friendly and can be enjoyed by anyone, is a joyous communal experience. A compilation reel of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses.
There are grumpy cats, feisty cats, acrobatic cats, helpful cats, cuddly cats. Cats playing the piano. Cats gleefully annoying dogs, cats demanding attention, cats, cats and more cats.
Every cinema screening CatVideoFest will be donating a portion of their box office to their preferred animal shelter or welfare organisation. This unique feline festival has also encouraged adoptions, fostering, volunteer sign-ups and much more.
There are heart-warming moments involving cat rescue stories. It is entertaining to watch and not only for cat lovers as has been testified by others. According to the Wall Street Journal “watching silly cat videos is good for you”.
Oh, with Christmas around the corner, one little thing to remember. Kittens love tree decorations if you haven’t discovered this already.
Crew
Produced, Directed & Music by Will Braden
Available in 129 cinemas in Australia October 17-20 only: Raises money for cats in need through partnerships with local cat charities, animal welfare organizations, and shelters to best serve cats in the area. Catvideofest.com
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