The day has finally come when all you patient, pleasantly persistent feline advocates, who have been asking “But what about the kitties up on the big screen?” are going to get your very own NY Cat Film Festival! This new festival embraces films that honor these mysterious creatures, who have fascinated mankind for centuries and continue to enchant us.
The first NY Cat Film Festival™ will premiere in New York City November 5 2017 alongside the 3rd Annual NY Dog Film Festival™, and then the festivals will travel together around the country to reach as many “crazy cat people” as possible! The annual NY Cat Film Festival™ will enhance our appreciation and understanding of who cats share our world, while benefiting local animal welfare groups and saluting those who work and volunteer on behalf of the pussycats., sponsored by Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat.
Cats have their own unique and indescribable bond with the people in their world and this festival will celebrate that mysterious, intense attachment, while giving back to animal welfare groups that protect cats and elevate their status in the world. In New York City the Alliance or New York City’s Animals will be the beneficiary of a portion of every ticket from both festivals, since they represent all the rescue groups and shelters in the city, giving equal importance to both species of pets looking for adoptive homes.
The Cat Film Festival is looking for submissions of feline-themed films (preferably short) – documentary, animated or narrative – made by people that have something to say about cats, whether from a philosophical, practical or hilarious point of view. This Festival is not about “cat videos” which tend to passively record silly or foolish random things that cats happen to do. Films are welcome which are made with an intention, concept or story to convey something essential about cats. We’ve already gotten submissions of diverse and impressive films and cannot wait to see more.
A great example of a fine movie-in-the-making that has come to me is “The Cat Rescuers,” a work-in-progress documentary about several different “angels” who are doing amazing rescue work in Brooklyn. The film has been several years in the making and is just winding up a crowd funding campaign to finish production, which already surpassed its goal of $50,000 with a full 7 days left! You can view the trailer on the campaign and get a sense of how eager people are to support and watch quality film depictions of cats’ lives, which will certainly be welcome in the 2nd Annual NY Cat Film Festival in 2018.
We hope filmmakers will want to honor cats and raise awareness for their needs and qualities – and have fun doing it. The NY Cat Film Festival™ is an exploration through film of the fascinating felines who share our lives, creating a shared audience experience that inspires, educates and entertains. For far too long, felines have been the “invisible” part of the human-animal bond and it’s time to shine the spotlight on these magnificent creatures and the humans devoted to them. The NY Cat Film Festival™ is a way for those who admire and are fascinated by cats to bring their films in front of like-minded cat aficionados.
Tracie Hotchner is a nationally acclaimed pet wellness advocate, who wrote THE DOG BIBLE: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know and THE CAT BIBLE: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know. She is recognized as the premiere voice for pets and their people on pet talk radio. She continues to produce and host her own Gracie® Award winning NPR show DOG TALK® (and Kitties, Too!) from Peconic Public Broadcasting in the Hamptons after 9 consecutive years and over 500 shows. She produced and hosted her own live, call-in show CAT CHAT® on the Martha Stewart channel of Sirius/XM for over 7 years until the channel was canceled, when Tracie created her own Radio Pet Lady Network where she produces and co-hosts CAT CHAT® along with 10 other pet talk radio podcasts with top veterinarians and pet experts.
Tracie also is the Founder and Director of the annual NY Dog Film Festival, a philanthropic celebration of the love between dogs and their people. Short canine-themed documentary, animated and narrative films from around the world create a shared audience experience that inspires, educates and entertains. With a New York City premiere every October, the Festival then travels around the country, partnering in each location with an outstanding animal welfare organization that brings adoptable dogs to the theater and receives half the proceeds of the ticket sales. Halo was a Founding Sponsor in 2015 and donated 10,000 meals to the beneficiary shelters in every destination around the country in 2016.
Tracie lives in Bennington, Vermont – where the Radio Pet Lady Network studio is based – and where her 12 acres are well-used by her 2-girl pack of lovely, lively rescued Weimaraners, Maisie and Wanda.