Cat lovers united as the Victoria Film Festival's most purred-about event of the year made its splash at the Vic Theatre over the B.C. Day long weekend.
At the Cat Video Fest, audiences were treated to a purrfect time at the movies, full of laughs and funny clips that had everyone meowing along.
Theatre manager and event programmer Kiana Karimkhani says the show has been running since 2019.
Karimkhani adds that the cat festival has always been a big community draw.
"The community rallies around this festival,” says Karimkhani. "This festival is very much community-based. It matters to us what the community wants to see.”
Just like the Rocky Horror Picture Show at Halloween, the festival is one that people look forward to year after year.
“It's just something that we are known for, and people love it. It's giving the community what they want, and it's just so much fun to partner with all the great organizations that come on board."
The festival included all-ages screenings, as well as a 19+ screening, all in support of animal rescue organization, Cats Cradle Animal Rescue. Karimkhani says a portion of proceeds go toward the rescue. Other local businesses helped sponsor the event, including Chocolats Favoris, who provided two-for-one vouchers to everyone who bought a ticket. Paws on Cook Pet Store also gave away a gift basket.
Karimkhani says that the main goal for this show is to get as many people in the theatre as they can and give back to the community.
“A sellout is the goal of course, because then the proceeds go to help Cats Cradle… We just want to provide some fun for the community, as well as lighten what is going on in the world.”
Karimkhani says that the primary things audiences can expect from this show is high energy, lots of laughs as well as fantastic snacks.
“It's so great to see something like this with a crowd. You just feed off the energy as people are coming through.”
“I could hear them saying things like, ‘The energy here is just so great.’ So, fantastic energy, popcorn, fantastic mocktails or cocktails —whatever it is that you feel like, and just laughing along with your community. Which, I think we need a lot of right now."
