The fourth annual celebration of cinematic mini-meowsterpieces recently hit a home run in the hearts of the 13,000 cat enthusiasts. Cat lovers gathered in a clowder at the home of the St. Paul Saints baseball team for a day of dogged devotion to the divine feline.
The crowd roared with approval as St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman threw out the ceremonial first pitch (which, in true feline form, was actually a ball of yarn) to mark the start of the Internet Cat Video Festival. The event was respectfully celebrated in honor of Cecil, the big cat whose passing deeply moved fans of the late lion.
Along with cute kitty clips curated by The Thieving Filmmaker (aka Will Braden of Henri Le Chat Noir fame), attendees also enjoyed a “Dress as Your Cat” costume contest, face painting, feline-inspired art activities, and the announcement of the video which had been voted top dog.
The recipient of this year’s coveted Golden Kitty award was “Cat Behavior Finally Explained” by Alana Grelyak and Michael Gabriele, the creators of the popular CATastrophes web series and proud pet parents to five adopted cats and a dog.
“We are really proud to have won this award, especially since this video carries with it a clear message of adoption. We hope that this win will allow us to talk more about and do more for homeless cats,” stated Grelyak and Gabriele, who have been able to donate thousands of dollars to help homeless cats thanks to their online kitty comedy show.
For more information regarding the Walker Art Center’s Internet Cat Video Festival, including upcoming dates on the feline film fest’s tour:
- Tyler Bass Fans Donate to Cat Adoption Group - January 24, 2024
- Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, Patron Saint of Cats - January 19, 2024
- Offensive Tackle Daniel Faalele’s Defensive Play for Animal Rights - December 27, 2023