New York Cat Film Festival 2025

The NY Cat Film Festival™ is a film exploration of the fascinating felines who share our lives. These are not random internet “cat videos” – these are films made with an intention, concept or story conveying something essential about cats. Cats have a unique and indescribable bond with people – even when living independently as community cats. For far too long, felines have been the “invisible” part of the human-animal bond. We wish to shine the spotlight on these magnificent creatures and the humans devoted to them. Please note that a portion of every ticket goes to a local animal welfare non-profit, bringing community awareness and support for the needs of local kitties. This screening will help support the Animal Protective Foundation. Not rated, but all of the films are family-friendly and can be enjoyed by humans of all ages. 90 minutes.

The 2025 NY Cat Film Fest line-up includes:

• “Cats Eye Witness News” by Michele Campbell — One episode of the charming Finny and Dazy, two talking cats who report on the news in New York City.
• “So it Began” by Mutual Rescue — An uplifting documentary about Calvin Tucker, now famous on social media, whose life was transformed when he saved a stray kitten and has since saved hundreds of homeless and injured animals in his under-resourced community.
• “Cat ‘N the Box” by Maya Ali Ezeddine — A short animated film by a Lebanese student filmmaker at NYU about a cat who hears noises coming from a box and decides to investigate.
• “Cat Advocacy” by Kim Best — A snidely funny imagined tale of a cat owner calling companies to complain that her cat doesn’t like their products.
• “A New Home for an Old Cat” by Stephanie Cernelli — A chronicle of the adventures of Gotelind, an older feline, who got a second chance when adopted from a shelter.
• “Leonardo’s Last Luncheon” by Joan Carol Gratz — Produced and directed by the 1992 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Short Film.
• “Nine Lives” by Jessie Davidson — A heartwarming documentary about a cat who has an entire neighborhood fooled, with several people believing they are the only ones who love and look after her.
• “Tail of the Twilight Cat” by H Mahesh Haris — A touching documentary from Australia about the filmmaker’s own attempts to save an injured stray cat and how it backfires.
• “Cats Eye Witness News [Weather Report]” by Michele Campbell — Finny and Dazey report on NYC weather challenges.
• “Scott” by Grace R Strom — An animated day in the life of Scott the Cat as he explores his backyard.
• “Kitty CrusAIDe” by Josh Carter — A biographical documentary about a passionate TNR cat rescuer, Dani, and the joys and heartbreak of her efforts.
• “Caroline: A Letter to Mom” by Jesse Rosenstein — A happy birthday message to her mom, from Caroline the Cat.
• “Mikey Hammer, Purrivate Eye” by Priscilla Dean — With a cast of actual cats from Purradise Ranch cat sanctuary who have the dialogue of a 1940’s film noir set in New Orleans, Mikey the private investigator is hired to find a stolen million-dollar cat collar.
• “King of Cats” by Kim Best — A documentary about an extraordinary man, Harold “Catman” Sims, who turned his passion for cats into Catman2 Shelter, a large open-plan cat rescue with low-cost spay/neuter, along with founding the American Museum of the House Cat.
• “The Battle for Swan Lake” by Joan Carol Gratz — A second film from animation pioneer Joan Gratz. A fun and funny mixed media story with cats, a dog and a fish head performing the classic ballet, Swan Lake.
• “Love Me” by Aya Kneitner — An animated story of a lonely flower opening up to a kitty.
• “Cats Eye Witness News [Best Friends Adoption Center]” by Michele Campbell — Finny and Dazey celebrate cat adoption.
• “Trace of a Cat” by Kim Best — Another “Kim Best Feline Film,” poetically posing the philosophical question of what our cats leave us with when they vacate a space they were in.
• “Cat Kingdom” by Martina Girlanda — An allegorical film of a young woman walking through an Italian hill town full of cats, each of which appears to magically transform into a human as she passes them by.