Felines can be like celebrities — aloof, moody, prone to attitude and incredibly popular. So it makes sense that they're stars in a perennial favorite, the Cat Video Fest.
Even with the death of Lil Bub and the frowny faced Grumpy Cat, other members of the feline world are carrying on the tradition of having their fiendish and comedic antics filmed by their owners.
"Cat videos are popular because we love cats and there's a real social community in real life that comes from that," says Will Braden, curator of the festival since it began in 2012. "The internet became the de facto cat park."
To create the feline-filled reel, Braden spends months watching more than 10,000 video submissions, then whittles them down to just over 100.
"I try to find a lot of videos that people haven't seen before," he said. "I've probably watched more cat videos than anyone in history."
The result is a 70-minute show with dancing, prancing and menacing cat-tastic action. This year's trailer promises that the event will be "bigger, better and bolder."
Once held outdoors in parks and stadiums, the festival is now exclusively in theaters across the country. It also shines the spotlight on local shelters as it travels.
In the Twin Cities, the Feline Rescue will receive 10% of the proceeds. Members of the nonprofit rescue also will be at the festival to answer questions.
"Anything we can do to get our name out in the public is a blessing," said Phil Manz, the group's executive director.
The fest will screen at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday at St. Anthony Main, 115 SE. Main St., Mpls. It will also play in Waite Park, Minn., Duluth and Rochester. The schedule can be found at catvideofest.com/where-to-watch.
