NEW BEDFORD – They’re cute, cuddly, fluffy and so much fun to watch. The cutest and most hilarious cat videos are coming to the Zeiterion on Sunday as part of the Cat Video Fest.
“It’s such an interesting phenomenon,” said New Bedford Cinema series curator Mocha James Herrup.
“We are used to watching cat videos on the computer or on our phone, and it’s an individual experience, but you can’t imagine how much more fun it would be to watch these videos with others. people, especially in a theater with lots and lots of people around.”
Originally launched in 2012 at the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis, the Cat Video Fest quickly became so popular that the event had to be moved from the museum to St. Paul Saints Stadium.
“It’s like being at a rock concert. That euphoria you get when everyone around you loves what they’re experiencing, whether it’s Bruce Springsteen or Lizzo or cats,” Herrup said.
Starting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Cat Video Fest will feature a reel of the latest and greatest videos selected from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic Internet powerhouses all related to cats.
And no, unfortunately you cannot bring your cat.
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Profits help a local organization
The event supports Fall River’s Moby Kit Rescue, an animal shelter serving the SouthCoast area.
“We are very honoured,” said Sarah Donner, president of the feline organization which promotes cats throughout the region.
“Having animals that rely on me is a very important part of my day,” she added.
Donner, who grew up in New Bedford, has been rescuing cats and working with different organizations for 20 years.
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She started her own organization in January 2022. “They’re all out there and it takes a lot of people, a lot of coordination and a lot of gas to take care of all these kitties,” she said.
Donner said his treasurer Emily Melendez is the engine that runs the organization and proceeds from the event will go towards their TNR (Trap, Neuter and Release) mission, paying for surgeries to help control the cat outbreak. wanderers.
“We also hope to expand and have a facility soon,” Donner added. “We hope this will help us grow stronger in the community to help cats, especially in underserved areas of the city.”
Cat videos can reduce stress
Cinema New Bedford presents films that spark conversations, “great feelings” and new perspectives. The mission is to help create and maintain a strong movie-going community in New Bedford, according to the website, by promoting the art of filmmaking and building community through collective engagement.
“I think it reminds us of how movies are best watched in a shared experience,” Herrup added. “Theatre is a collective joy and that’s exactly what it is and what I hope people will experience on Sunday.”
According to the Huffington Post, in a study led by Jessica Gall Myrick, an assistant professor at Indiana University’s Media School, she recruited 6,827 people from an animal rights group’s Facebook page and asked about pet ownership, internet use, video consumption and personality. .
After watching a cat video, people experienced a similar reaction when playing with a therapy cat. “Most of the pet therapy literature shows that it reduces anxiety and can improve people’s moods,” says Myrick.
The overwhelming majority of respondents said they felt much happier after watching the videos and felt fewer negative emotions of anxiety, sadness and guilt.
As for Donner, she loves watching cat videos and actually has a few cat videos that have gone viral online. For example, she is known for producing the hilarious and cute “Treeline” video of a kitten slowly falling asleep.
People can also join in the cat fun by submitting short videos of their special feline friend under one minute for prizes and inclusion in their pre-show program by posting to social media with the hashtag #CatsofNewBedford , #ZeiterionPets or #CatsofMewBedford .
Prizes include gift cards for Mellisa’s Pet Depot.
Standard-Times editor Seth Chitwood can be reached at shitwood@st.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
