The seventh annual 2025 NY Cat Film Festival, taking place at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center starting March 15, is a delight for all feline aficionados. Tracie Hotchner, a nationally acclaimed pet wellness advocate and author, curates a collection of short films annually that explore the mystique of the captivating felines who share our lives. The festival premieres in New York City every fall, and then travels the country, with each location benefiting local shelters by donating a portion of the box office to them or to a rescue organization.
The 19 short films feature documentaries and narratives showcasing imaginative animations as well as real footage of cats. The NY Cat Film Festival website outlines the inspiration behind the project: “Cats have their own unique and indescribable bond with people — even when living independently as a community. For 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.”
While you won’t find any silly cat videos here like those available online, there are plenty of amusing and clever shorts. One of my favorites is “Mikey Hammer, Purrivate Eye” by Priscilla Dean. Shot in black-and-white and set in New Orleans, it is a humorous spoof of 1940s and ’50s film noir. The cast features actual cats from Purradise Ranch cat sanctuary. Mikey, the private investigator, narrates the moment he’s hired to find a stolen million-dollar, diamond-studded cat collar. “In walked an exotic beauty who made my heart stop. Her furry gams were the kind of legs that could jump up on a bookshelf and knock everything off.” And so the adventure continues, with more tongue-in-cheek dialogue.
Another favorite is the snidely funny tale told in “Cat Advocacy,” by Kim Best. The camera follows a cat who shows little interest in the large variety of toys it is given. We hear a human voice on the phone speaking repeatedly with customer service explaining to each representative that a particular birthday gift to his cat is not cutting it. Some of the unsuspecting employees are nonplussed, while others are helpful.
There is no dialogue in “Leonardo’s Last Luncheon” by Joan Carol Gratz, who produced and directed the 1992 Academy awardwinner for Best Animated Short Film, “Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase.” In this Cat Film Festival short, Leonardo da Vinci’s famous “Last Supper” mural comes to life, with kitty apostles licking their chops at the tasty meal.
We hear a handful of people being interviewed in the heartwarming documentary “Nine Lives,” about a cat who has an entire neighborhood fooled, with several folks believing they are the only ones who love and look after her. Wonderful footage of Daisy/Butterscotch Swirl/Alice/Snow Pea shows her wandering from one household to another, comfortably making herself at home in each.
There also are inspiring documentaries about individuals dedicated to rescuing cats. The first is “So It Began,” about Calvin (“Black Noah”) Tucker, who has singlehandedly trapped, neutered, and released more than 600 animals. Living in what Tucker calls the most dangerous town in Alabama, he admits he had lived a pointless existence until Henry the cat came into his life and gave him a purpose. The footage of the two of them together captures their extraordinary bond. He describes the moment he met Henry: “It was like the veil was lifted off my eyes –– so I started paying attention to those cats that in the past I would just ignore.” Today, Tucker visits some 22 sites, seven days a week, to care for homeless and injured animals in his under-resourced community.
Josh Carter’s biographical documentary “Kitty CrusAIDe” highlights the journey of dedicated cat rescuer Dani, and the joys and heartbreak of her efforts to trap, neuter, and release. “It’s no longer what I do; it’s who I am. I’m the cat lady,” she says. The advocacy film states that a single female cat can produce up to 25 kittens annually. There are approximately 70 million unhoused cats in the U.S., with a sobering 1.4 million of them euthanized each year, while the rest face deadly diseases, injuries, and starvation.
“A New Home for an Old Cat,” by Stephanie Cernelli, chronicles the adventures of Gotelind, an older feline who narrates how he got a second chance when he was adopted from a shelter.
One of the final shorts is Martina Girlanda’s beautiful, dreamy narrative, “Cat Kingdom.” The allegorical film follows a young woman as she strolls through an ancient Italian hill town filled with cats, each seemingly transforming into a human as she walks by.
These films and the rest in the festival inspire, educate, and entertain us, providing a pleasant evening of feline fun.
The 2025 NY Cat Film Festival starts March 15 at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center. For tickets and information, visit mvfilmsociety.com/2025/03/2025-ny-cat-film-festival. A portion of the box office will go to the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard. There is also a silent auction for an animal companion portrait by Island artist Lexi Ladd, who will donate the money to the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society and M.V. Animal Shelter. For information, visit 32auctions.com/organizations/127216/auctions/178236/auction_items/5997533.
