From the dawn of online chat rooms to our ever-present social media feeds, humans have consumed millions of cat-related memes and videos. It makes sense, then, that there’s a whole festival dedicated to viewing such clips on the big screen.
Described as a 70-minute “compilation reel of the latest, best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos and, of course, classic internet powerhouses,” CatVideoFest will have screenings across the country — including three February dates at Clifton’s Esquire Theatre.
“We like to host it each year because we show so many films that (tell) really important stories that are on the heavier side,” says Diane Janicki, operations manager for Theatre Management Corp., which also oversees the Mariemont and Kenwood theaters. “It’s always nice to have a cinematic experience that’s also just for pure joy.”
After a successful inaugural run at the Esquire last year, the theater hopes to make it an annual event, Janicki says. That popularity should come as no surprise. The virtual takeover of all things Felis catus stretches further than the initial cute factor.
In 2015, an exhibit titled How Cats Took Over the Internet opened at New York’s Museum of the Moving Image. Curated by Jason Eppink, it attempted to understand the phenomenon of the lasting online popularity of cats.
According to Wired, Eppink asked a central question: “If cats only make up a tiny percent of all online content… and are second to dogs in terms of online meme exposure (in the United States, at least), how do you explain the outsize amount of attention they receive?”
The article points to Sianne Ngai’s book Our Aesthetic Categories, which links cuteness with capitalism. She suggests that when we witness something twee — like, for example, a frolicking pink-nosed kitten — we have an intrinsic desire to own it. This can explain the rise of celebrity felines — Grumpy Cat (RIP) as the premier example — who claw in their own hefty income.
Dog owners have parks and trendy fido-friendly bar patios at which to gather, but cat owners don’t often have the same. The internet mimics that sense of community. Events like the CatVideoFest manifest it IRL.
“There’s a real energy that takes place when a group of people are all experiencing something that they’re passionate about,” Janicki says. “A lot of patrons that come to this are clearly cat lovers and they are people that watch cat videos at home.”
Janicki likens the feeling to that of a sporting event — people gathered together through the bond of a common interest. And in this case, it’s also for a good cause.
For every ticket purchased, 10 percent of sales will also be donated to The Scratching Post, a shelter located in Silverton, Ohio. (Every CatVideoFest screening donates a percentage of proceeds to a local animal shelter or welfare organization.)
The Scratching Post has operated since 1990 with the mission of promoting the welfare of cats and kittens in the Greater Cincinnati area. Along with housing around 100 cats, Donna Bihn, the Scratching Post’s president of the board of directors, says they spay and neuter the animals, give them all of their vaccinations, test them for feline leukemia and FIV and place them for adoption.
Fundraising events like the film fest help get their message out not only about spaying and neutering, but also their various initiatives — like CatSNIP, a low-cost spay/neuter incentive program that offers a voucher worth $40 for a male or female spay with the goal of reducing the stray population of local cats.
“One female cat and her offspring left unspayed and neutered for seven years can generate a half a million more cats,” says Linda Rilea, shelter manager. “That figure is just outrageous.”
They don’t have the capacity to take in every cat — nor, really, does any shelter. Still, from January to Nov. 1 of last year, the Scratching Post found homes for 256 cats. Accounting for the remaining months, Bihn says that number is “easily” 300.
If you head to the Esquire for the event, keep an eye out for their table. Though not confirmed at the time of the interview, they plan to sell catnip bags, toys, etc. at the fest.
And if you wander into the Scratching Post, expect to see kitties up to similar antics as the ones depicted at CatVideoFest. From pink-nosed babes scampering about to cats falling off tables and nailing the landing to all of ’em just being downright adorable, there’s a lot to love — both onscreen and off.
The CatVideoFest screens at the Esquire Theatre 7 p.m. Feb. 22, 2 p.m. Feb. 23 and 7 p.m. Feb. 25. More info: esquiretheatre.com. If you’re interested in donating to or volunteering at The Scratching Post, visit thescratchingpost.org.
This article appears in Jan 22 – Feb 4, 2020.
