From 1894’s Prof. Welton’s Boxing Cats to today’s TikToks featuring kitties of all kinds, we’ve never stopped enjoying the humble cat video.
I believe that’s because cats are the animal world’s best (and completely unintentional) slapstick comedians. Director Will Braden believes this too, as evidenced by his five-year-plus commitment to compiling over 15,000 cat videos into feature length collage films for the annual CatVideoFest.
CatVideoFest
Disclaimer claws: You might not consider going to the cinema to watch hundreds of cat clips a very ‘highbrow’ experience, but there’s no denying how fun and heartwarming the idea is. And so, here and miaow, I recommend CatVideoFest for your next outing.
Held in cinemas around the world to claw some money together for animal shelters and welfare orgs, CatVideoFest is essentially a 75-minute manifestation of every cat lover’s daily TikTok feed, but this time you’re sitting in a crowd, and the screen is about one hundred times bigger than a phone.
ScreenHub: Feline films to stream on International Cat Day … available right miaow
If you feel your opposable thumb (stop bragging!) involuntarily flexing to scroll to the next clip, that’s only natural – I suggest placing your paws gently into the popcorn box to curb the urge.
CatVideoFest: a furmidable selection
Cute cats, angry cats, karate cats, gymnast cats, musical cats, cooking cats, skateboarding cats – CatVideoFest has them all, making for one of the more pleasant, cozy cinema-going experiences of the year. There is no through-line narrative, no twist, no drama (unless you count all the cat fights).
So, if you need to use the litter … I mean, loo … halfway through, you won’t miss, or hiss, much. It’s a bit mindless, sure, but with the state of the world being what it is, perhaps this is the scratching pole we need …
Watch the trailer for CatVideoFest 2024
Since it’s tough (but not impossible) to train a cat, the majority of the humour here comes from the cats accidentally getting into situations like getting stuck in a vase, climbing a Christmas tree, and trying to drink from tap water that keeps bending away from their muzzles thanks to their forehead getting in the way. It’s guaranteed to have you feline better.
There are also cat puns (so, so many cat puns), an area I consipurr myself an expawt in, but even still, I was furprised to see the inclusion of immeowdiately* (knead I say more?)
CatVideoFest: not kitten around
While most videos in the CatVideoFest compilation are amusing tails, some give paws for thought and are educational fur real – for example, I learnt why cat’s eyes appear to glow in the dark, and how to successfully trap a stray that you intend to nurse back to health.
On that note, the event also encourages adoptions, fostering, and volunteer sign-ups for shelters, so that more cats in the world have a better chance at a good life.
In 2019, my husband and I went to the RSPCA in Burwood to adopt a dog. A couple of hours later, we walked away with a three-year-old black and white cat called Muta (née Brannagan). Muta was the only cat left in the ‘Sylvester’ enclosure, and we were informed that he had FIV (feline HIV), which meant that his life may be shortened significantly.
We spoke with their resident vet about how to care for him, and decided without question that he would be coming home with us. The staff were so delighted that they reduced the adoption fee significantly, and even threw in a free bed.
Five years later, Muta is thriving, dining on the finest meat jellies a journalist’s wage can buy, and running about the apartment with the energy of a rambunctious kitten.
While Muta does not feature in CatVideoFest, many cats with similar stories (and natural comedic timing) do. If it helps get more cats like him adopted, then I’m all fur it.
CatVideoFest 2024: the details
SCREENING AT 129 CINEMAS
OCTOBER 17-20
Running Time: 75 Minutes
Rating: G
Official website
CatVideoFest is screening from 17-20 October at Nova, Dendy, Event cinemas and more. Check your local cinema’s website to confirm screening times.
*I’m sorry to make you read that. But in fairness, I had to write it.
