There's not a ton of good stuff going on at the moment, but in those moments when we need a pick-me-up, there are always cat videos waiting for us on social media.
The dopamine hit of a kitten meow or some air biscuits always takes the edge off of our existential despair, which is why we've already got our tickets to CatVideoFest, which begins screening this weekend at select theaters around town.
The first incarnation of CatVideoFest took place in 2012 at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Will Braden won a Golden Kitty Award that year for his contribution and eventually began curating the screening.
"In 2015, they moved on to other projects, and so from then on, I’ve been in charge of the whole thing," Braden says.
This year's offering will give audiences more than 225 separate clips in the 75-minute reel.
"We get a ton of submissions, but I still do a ton of scouring the internet for all types of videos and clips," Braden says. "We don’t have the budget to offer much in the way of compensation, though I always get permission from the creators. ... It’s a lot of legwork. But it is still the best job in the world."
Though you can't put a price on CatVideoFest's entertainment value, Braden can tally up what it does for local shelters. Part of the project's proceeds go back into the communities it visits, and in 2024, CatVideoFest donated more than $100,000 in cities around the world.
The great thing about cat videos is that you can find an endless supply on your phone any time of the day. So why pay to go see CatVideoFest in a theater?
"It’s a fair question," Braden says. "In some ways, it’s like asking, 'Well, you have music on your phone and headphones, why go out to a concert?' There’s something that’s undeniably exciting about seeing something you love with a big group of like-minded folks.
"But honestly, I also want even the most fervent cat video watchers to know that they have my word they will see a ton of stuff that they haven’t seen before. I really go to a lot of trouble to make sure the reel feels curated and purposeful and varied: animation, music videos, mini-documentaries, pretty much a little of everything."
Here's where you can see CatVideoFest 2025:
- Aug. 2 and 3, Harkins Theatres Shea 14, 7354 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale. Check website for showtimes.
- 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 E. Central Ave.
- Beginning Friday, Aug. 8, Majestic Chandler 9, 4955 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Check website for showtimes.
