Success·cinemaSeattle cat entrepreneur on screening his 73-minute opus nationwide: ‘It’s not all cats falling into a bathtub.
That would get exhausting’By Lindsey BahrBy The Associated PressBy Lindsey BahrBy The Associated Press This image released by Oscilloscope Laboratories shows motional art for Cat Fest 2025.
Oscilloscope Laboratories via AP)The best of the internet’s cat s are coming to the big screen this weekend.
Cat Fest is a 73-minute, G-rated selection of all things feline —silly, cuddly, sentimental and comedic—that’s playing in more than 500 independent theaters in the U.S. and Canada.
A portion of ticket ceeds benefit cat-focused charities, shelters and animal welfare organization. Since 2019, it’s raised over $1 million.
The s are curated by Will Braden, the Seattle-based creator of the comedically existential shorts, Henri, le Chat Noir. His cards read: “I watch cat s.” And it’s not a joke or an exaggeration.
Braden watches thousands of hours of internet s to make the annual compilation.
“I want to show how broad the idea of a cat can be so there’s animated things, music s, little mini documentaries,” Braden said.
“It isn’t all just, what I call, ‘America’s Funniest Cat s.’ It’s not all cats falling into a bathtub.
That would get exhausting.” Now in its eighth year, Cat Fest is bigger than ever, with a global presence that’s already ext to the UK and Denmark, and, for the first time, to France, Spain, Japan and Brazil.
Last year, the screenings made over $1 million at the box office. In the early days, it was a bit of a cess trying to convince independent movie theaters to gram Cat Fest.
But Braden, and indie distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories, have found that one year is all it takes to get past that hurdle. “Everywhere that does it wants to do it again,” Braden said.
Current theatrical partners include Alamo Drafthouse, IFC Center, Nitehawk, Vidiots, Laemmle and Music Box.
The screenings attract all variety of audiences, from kids and cat ladies to hipsters and grandparents and everyone in between.
“It’s one of the only things, maybe besides a Pixar movie or Taylor Swift concert, that just appeals to everybody,” Braden said. And the plan is to keep going.
“We’re not going to run out of cat s and we’re not going to run out of people who want to see it,” Braden said.
“All I have to do is make sure that it’s really funny and entertaining every year.” Introducing the 2025 Fortune 500, the definitive ranking of the biggest companies in America.
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