The world's weirdest film festival returns: Welcome to Cat Fest, as curator who watches 15,000 videos a year insists "it's my full time job"

Cat Video Fest 2024 — (Image credit: Cat Video Fest)

Venice Film Festival... Cannes... Cat Video Fest? The world's strangest (and cutest) film festival is back and it's touring the US, Canada, and Australia, with over an hour's worth of curated cat videos to enjoy.

Cat Video Fest showcases a hand-picked reel of the best cat videos pulled from public submissions. The best part? The event raises money for cat charities, animal welfare organizations, and shelters. In fact, since 2019, the event has made over $150,000 for local shelters and more, and even encourages attendees to adopt a kitty for themselves as well.

This year, the 73-minute reel consists of videos of varying length, tone, and subject matter. No matter what kind of feline fan you are, there is something for everyone from grumpy cats, feisty cats, musically talented cats, and even a kitty climbing the wall whilst 'Spider Pig' from The Simpsons Movie plays in the background.

The lucky person who gets to choose which cat videos appear is Will Braden. In an interview with Variety, Braden revealed that he watches 15,000 cat videos per year and selects about 200 for the reel. The whole process from picking clips to displaying them takes him all year long. "It's my full-time job. My business cards say I watch cat videos," he said. But even so, it sounds like the dream, right? "As long as people laugh, and as long as we raise money for cats in need," added Braden. "Then I'll have the greatest job ever for as long as I want it."

But it looks like Cat Video Fest has some competition as The NY Cat Film Festival, led by pet wellness advocate Tracie Hotchner, is also making its way through New York City this October. The festival will screen a 90-minute film made up of cat-themed filmed from animated shorts to mini-documentaries, all hosted by a panel of cat anchors called Cats Eye Witness News. Let the kitty wars commence! All for a good... paws, of course.

For more information on where the film is playing and how to get tickets, visit the Cat Video Fest website here and keep up with new movies heading your way this year.

I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.