CatVideoFest: how clips of cute kitties spawned a million-dollar movie franchise
Age: 131.
Appearance: Legitimate entertainment.
Hang on, cat videos are 131 years old? Clearly, you have never seen The Boxing Cats, a 20-second film of two cats wearing boxing gloves and brawling inside a miniature ring. It was made by Thomas Edison's production studio in 1894 and can be found in the Library of Congress.
So what you're saying is that humanity hasn't progressed meaningfully in almost a century and a half? No, I'm saying that there is something vital about the appeal of cat videos and the manner in which they have evolved with us.
But also … Well, yes, humans have always been easily pleased idiots.
Now that we've cleared that up, why are we talking about them today? Oh, because CatVideoFest 2025 is preparing to launch.
WhatVideoFest? Do keep your finger on the pulse, please. Every year since 2016, Will Braden has painstakingly assembled a compilation of online videos and public submissions into CatVideoFest, a feature-length, theatrically released montage of cat videos.
Seriously, is this a thing? Not only is it a thing, but it's a wildly successful one at that. The 2021 edition grossed just $94,000 at the box office, but last year's took more than a million dollars. If the series continues to get 10 times more successful every three years, CatVideoFest 2036 will be the most successful movie of all time.
So, is it any good? Sort of. Anyone who took their kids to see CatVideoFest 2024 will know that a nonstop barrage of cat videos starts to drag after about 20 minutes. But, boy, those opening 20 minutes were amazing.
What sort of cat videos do the films contain? Oh, all the fan favourites. You can probably expect videos of cats sneaking up on people, cats knocking stuff off tables and cats climbing up things.
What about videos of cats using toilets? Ah, a classic of the genre. I didn't realise that I was dealing with a connoisseur.
Of course. Barely a day passes when I don't watch the 2011 hit 'Cat walking on two legs 2'. Yes, I think my favourite part of that is when … hey, are we just linking to cat videos now? I thought this was a serious website.
No, this is a discussion of how cinemas are learning to adapt to new audiences during a time of industry-wide constriction. Very intelligent. Almost as intelligent as the cat who opened a door for its owner who forgot her keys.
But what does this say about us as a society? Look, the world is a mess. Please just let us dissociate in front of some cat videos.
Do say: 'CatVideoFest will save us all.'
Don't say: 'It can't be any worse than The Smurfs.'
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The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Now playing in movie theaters: 73 minutes of cat videos, for a good cause
The best of the internet's cat videos are coming to the big screen this weekend. Cat Video Fest is a 73-minute, G-rated selection of all things feline —silly, cuddly, sentimental and comedic—that's playing in more than 500 independent theaters in the U.S. and Canada. A portion of ticket proceeds benefit cat-focused charities, shelters and animal welfare organization. Since 2019, it's raised over $1 million. The videos are curated by Will Braden, the Seattle-based creator of the comedically existential shorts, Henri, le Chat Noir. His business cards read: 'I watch cat videos.' And it's not a joke or an exaggeration. Braden watches thousands of hours of internet videos to make the annual compilation. 'I want to show how broad the idea of a cat video can be so there's animated things, music videos, little mini documentaries,' Braden said. 'It isn't all just, what I call, 'America's Funniest Home Cat Videos.' It's not all cats falling into a bathtub. That would get exhausting.' Now in its eighth year, Cat Video Fest is bigger than ever, with a global presence that's already extended to the UK and Denmark, and, for the first time, to France, Spain, Japan and Brazil. Last year, the screenings made over $1 million at the box office. In the early days, it was a bit of a process trying to convince independent movie theaters to program Cat Video Fest. But Braden, and indie distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories, have found that one year is all it takes to get past that hurdle. 'Everywhere that does it wants to do it again,' Braden said. Current theatrical partners include Alamo Drafthouse, IFC Center, Nitehawk, Vidiots, Laemmle and Music Box. The screenings attract all variety of audiences, from kids and cat ladies to hipsters and grandparents and everyone in between. 'It's one of the only things, maybe besides a Pixar movie or Taylor Swift concert, that just appeals to everybody,' Braden said. And the plan is to keep going. 'We're not going to run out of cat videos and we're not going to run out of people who want to see it,' Braden said. 'All I have to do is make sure that it's really funny and entertaining every year.'
The Guardian
7 days ago
- The Guardian
CatVideoFest: how clips of cute kitties spawned a million-dollar movie franchise
Name: Cat videos. Age: 131. Appearance: Legitimate entertainment. Hang on, cat videos are 131 years old? Clearly, you have never seen The Boxing Cats, a 20-second film of two cats wearing boxing gloves and brawling inside a miniature ring. It was made by Thomas Edison's production studio in 1894 and can be found in the Library of Congress. So what you're saying is that humanity hasn't progressed meaningfully in almost a century and a half? No, I'm saying that there is something vital about the appeal of cat videos and the manner in which they have evolved with us. But also … Well, yes, humans have always been easily pleased idiots. Now that we've cleared that up, why are we talking about them today? Oh, because CatVideoFest 2025 is preparing to launch. WhatVideoFest? Do keep your finger on the pulse, please. Every year since 2016, Will Braden has painstakingly assembled a compilation of online videos and public submissions into CatVideoFest, a feature-length, theatrically released montage of cat videos. Seriously, is this a thing? Not only is it a thing, but it's a wildly successful one at that. The 2021 edition grossed just $94,000 at the box office, but last year's took more than a million dollars. If the series continues to get 10 times more successful every three years, CatVideoFest 2036 will be the most successful movie of all time. So, is it any good? Sort of. Anyone who took their kids to see CatVideoFest 2024 will know that a nonstop barrage of cat videos starts to drag after about 20 minutes. But, boy, those opening 20 minutes were amazing. What sort of cat videos do the films contain? Oh, all the fan favourites. You can probably expect videos of cats sneaking up on people, cats knocking stuff off tables and cats climbing up things. What about videos of cats using toilets? Ah, a classic of the genre. I didn't realise that I was dealing with a connoisseur. Of course. Barely a day passes when I don't watch the 2011 hit 'Cat walking on two legs 2'. Yes, I think my favourite part of that is when … hey, are we just linking to cat videos now? I thought this was a serious website. No, this is a discussion of how cinemas are learning to adapt to new audiences during a time of industry-wide constriction. Very intelligent. Almost as intelligent as the cat who opened a door for its owner who forgot her keys. But what does this say about us as a society? Look, the world is a mess. Please just let us dissociate in front of some cat videos. Do say: 'CatVideoFest will save us all.' Don't say: 'It can't be any worse than The Smurfs.'
The Guardian
7 days ago
- The Guardian
CatVideoFest: how clips of cute kitties spawned a million-dollar movie franchise
Name: Cat videos. Age: 131. Appearance: Legitimate entertainment. Hang on, cat videos are 131 years old? Clearly, you have never seen The Boxing Cats, a 20-second film of two cats wearing boxing gloves and brawling inside a miniature ring. It was made by Thomas Edison's production studio in 1894 and can be found in the Library of Congress. So what you're saying is that humanity hasn't progressed meaningfully in almost a century and a half? No, I'm saying that there is something vital about the appeal of cat videos and the manner in which they have evolved with us. But also … Well, yes, humans have always been easily pleased idiots. Now that we've cleared that up, why are we talking about them today? Oh, because CatVideoFest 2025 is preparing to launch. WhatVideoFest? Do keep your finger on the pulse, please. Every year since 2016, Will Braden has painstakingly assembled a compilation of online videos and public submissions into CatVideoFest, a feature-length, theatrically released montage of cat videos. Seriously, is this a thing? Not only is it a thing, but it's a wildly successful one at that. The 2021 edition grossed just $94,000 at the box office, but last year's took more than a million dollars. If the series continues to get 10 times more successful every three years, CatVideoFest 2036 will be the most successful movie of all time. So, is it any good? Sort of. Anyone who took their kids to see CatVideoFest 2024 will know that a nonstop barrage of cat videos starts to drag after about 20 minutes. But, boy, those opening 20 minutes were amazing. What sort of cat videos do the films contain? Oh, all the fan favourites. You can probably expect videos of cats sneaking up on people, cats knocking stuff off tables and cats climbing up things. What about videos of cats using toilets? Ah, a classic of the genre. I didn't realise that I was dealing with a connoisseur. Of course. Barely a day passes when I don't watch the 2011 hit 'Cat walking on two legs 2'. Yes, I think my favourite part of that is when … hey, are we just linking to cat videos now? I thought this was a serious website. No, this is a discussion of how cinemas are learning to adapt to new audiences during a time of industry-wide constriction. Very intelligent. Almost as intelligent as the cat who opened a door for its owner who forgot her keys. But what does this say about us as a society? Look, the world is a mess. Please just let us dissociate in front of some cat videos. Do say: 'CatVideoFest will save us all.' Don't say: 'It can't be any worse than The Smurfs.'
