Wish there was a way to watch cute cat videos while actually supporting the actors involved? (Those little guys chasing lasers and making biscuits on Instagram shouldn’t have to do it for free!)
Now there is, with the looming arrival of CatVideoFest 2024, a 75-minute celebration of our feline friends that raises money to support their health and welfare. The festival of short films is a national event, but opens in the Bay Area on Aug. 2. A portion of the proceeds goes toward local shelters and animal charities — in the past five years, the fest has raised more than $150,000 to support such worthy causes.
What’s on tap for 2024? Well, the organizers promise only “the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos and classic internet powerhouses.”
According to the YouTube screener, this means lots of footage of cats annoying people and getting into sticky situations — perching on someone’s back, stealing someone’s sandwich, getting stuck inside a toy and being lifted to a balcony via bucket. Also: cats skateboarding, getting massaged, running on a treadmill and chilling with adorable ducklings.
“Your cats love you, but do they respect you?” the trailer asks. “Probably not. Luckily there is a solution.” If you want to be part of this solution, and watch more than an hour of cats acting the fool on the big screen, here are the theaters in the Bay showing CatVideoFest 2024 beginning on Aug. 2 (see the nationwide list at catvideofest.com/where-to-watch):
• August 2-4: San Rafael, Smith-Rafael Film Center
• August 3-4: Berkeley, Rialto Elmwood
• August 3-4: Mill Valley, The Sequoia Theater
• August 3-4: Sebastopol, Rialto Sebastopol
• August 3-18: San Francisco, Roxie
