COLORADO, USA — Cats will come to the rescue of independent cinema this June.
The Quarantine Cat Film Festival will come to virtual theaters in the U.S. and Canada on Friday, June 19, to support local movie theaters which have been closed worldwide for nearly two months.
Once the festival premieres, moviegoers will purchase a ticket directly through a participating theater's website to receive the all-new, feature-length feline film on their computer, mobile device, smart TV or streaming device.
About 50 percent of each ticket will go directly to a local theater, offering much-needed revenue during the closure.
The filmmakers have received more than 1,000 cat video entries within the last two weeks, as of Wednesday, May 20.
Festival creators Row House Cinema in Pittsburgh are seeking video submissions from cat-loving movie fans through Friday, May 15. Videos must be shot in landscape mode and submitted at RowHouse.Online/Cats.
Submissions will also be judged in four categories — Cutest, Funniest, Bravest and Most Loving — to compete for cash prizes.
"As we discussed the devastating impact of the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders with other movie-theater owners around the country, we began hearing a common refrain: Moviegoers are at home with their kitties,” said Row House Cinema owner Brian Mendelssohn. “At the same time, we saw the growth and innovation of virtual cinema. That’s how we cat-apulted into this idea to celebrate cats, our moviegoers and our love of cinema all at once, and to help raise revenue for independent movie theaters, who are deeply at risk due to closures.”
Watch the Quarantine Cat Film Festival - Sample Reel below:
Watch the Quarantine Cat Film Festival Trailer below:
In the Boulder and Denver area, the International Film Series in Boulder will "show" the Quarantine Cat Film Festival.
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