(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- For those who love dogs and cats, a special weekend of films is taking place in Morristown, NJ. The NY Dog Film Festival™ (July 21) and The NY Cat Film Festival™ (July 22) will be showing at the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum. The festivals are each a celebration of the love for dogs and cats, illustrated through film. Unlike Internet video festivals, these programs are works of art, thoughtfully curated by pet wellness expert and champion, Tracie Hotchner.
The two programs are completely different - each a medley of films celebrating the love between cats, dogs and their people. Seeing both films provides a more complete experience. Some films may not be suitable for younger children due to mature themes and use of language.
July 21 - The NY Dog Film Festival™ brings dog aficionados together to share a communal experience of watching short films that celebrate the remarkable bond between people and dogs. The NY Dog Film Festival™ celebrates the love between dogs and their people, while giving a portion of every ticket to the local animal welfare group to support their animal life-saving efforts.
Program One: 11:00 AM, 2:30PM - “Outdoor Adventure With Dogs” (77 minutes)
Program Two: 12:45PM, 4:10PM - “Who Rescued Whom?” (74 minutes)
Program One Details: “OUTDOOR ADVENTURE WITH DOGS" (77 minutes)
My Trail Dog (5:00) Dean Leslie’s lyrical look at a man who is a loner who runs the Alps for the joy of it, with his dogs, who are his closest companions; Denali (8:00) Ben Moon honors Denali, his husky-pit mix; Walkies in the Wind (1:00) charming animated film by Toby Mattison; Biscuit (5:00) The most fearlessly athletic little dog you’ll ever meet; One Man & His Dog (4:00) is Dean Saffron’s look at one Australian man’s joyous skate boarding lifestyle with his Samoyed; The Mystery of the Arctic Cairn (54:00) John Huston’s thrilling documentary that follows a team of intrepid explorers and their 4 tempestuous Inuit sled dogs as they set out into the icy wilderness of the Canadian Arctic.
Program Two Details: "WHO RESCUED WHOM?" (74 minutes)
For the Love of Dog (9:00) Kylie Cushman’s charming documentary that looks at the various ways British dog owners describe their love for their dogs; The Present (4:00) Jacob Frey’s animated story about a boy and his dog that will take you by surprise; Nobody’s Perfect (7:00) a touching documentary about an Australian couple whose pack of dogs, each with its own disability, still “carries on regardless;” Awesome Living With Andy (7:00) made by sisters Patricia Denys & Mary Holmes, a documentary tribute to their darling disabled dog Andy, who does just fine in his canine “wheelchair;” Dogs in the Pen (12:00) Penelope Laurence’s documentary of a special program offered to female inmates to train shelter dogs as service animals; Steadfast Stanley (4:00) John Kim’s powerful animated film about canine loyalty; Pup Culture (10:00) Elle Marsh’s documentary about the delightfully odd ways that dogs are part of life in Melbourne, Australia; Love Unleashed (14:00) a happy-endings documentary by Kacey Klonsky about senior dogs; If I Could Talk (7:00) Ben Moon on the appreciation of a rescued dog. *Programming subject to change
July 22 -The NY Cat Film Festival™ Exploring the mystique of the fascinating felines who share our lives - The NY Cat Film Festival™ is an exploration through film of the fascinating felines who share people's lives, creating a shared audience experience that inspires, educates and entertains. For a long time, felines have been the “invisible” part of the human-animal bond and these films shine the spotlight on these creatures and the humans devoted to them.
The NY Cat Film Festival™ enhances the appreciation and understanding of how cats share the world with people, while benefiting local animal welfare groups and saluting those who work and volunteer on their behalf.
Program One: 12:00 PM, 2:50PM - “Nobody Owns a Cat” (60 minutes)
Program Two: 1:20PM, 4:10PM - “Little Works of Art” (61 minutes)
Program One Details: "NOBODY OWNS A CAT" (60 minutes)
Pure Fluff (4:00) Sean Skelton’s documentary sketch of a professional cat groomer in New York City, who shows how to tackle this combative challenge; Reunion (9:00) Megan Lohne’s tale of an animal psychic, who works his magic on grieving pet parents mourning their cat; Rescue (2:00) Filmmaker Lava Sheets’ self-portrait of the isolation and depression of a disabled woman, who realizes her devoted kitty, Apple Brown Betty, is consoling her; Jetty Cats (32:00) Sheila O'Rourke’s sweeping overview of cats throughout human history, looks at a long-surviving feral cat colony on a seaside jetty in Southern California and explores the debate about Trap-Neuter-Return as the best management for community cats; Winter Break (5:00) Rick Hamilton’s look at the thoughts of a school teacher who has only her cat for company during winter break; Amleto (2:00) Jeff Malmberg’s visual “poem” to the morning ritual of a Tuscan cat; Mittens from Kittens (4:00) Kim Best’s documentary shows how one woman was inspired by the nuisance of cat hair into spinning and knitting it into useful items.
Program Two Details: "LITTLE WORKS OF ART" (61 minutes)
Little Works of Art (13:00) Kim Best ‘s look at Harold "Cat Man" Sims and his self-styled American Museum of the House Cat in Sylva, NC, which houses over 10,000 cat-related objects and honors cats as "little works of art;” Akamatsu the Cat (10:00) Ian Christopher Goodman’s documentary about life with a disabled kitty cat, Akamatsu, who was paralyzed but went on to live another 4 vibrant years with the use of a wheelchair; Portrait of a Cat Fighter (4:00) Graceann Dorse’s mockumentary gives a funny peek at an imagined New Jersey “cat fighting ring” run by little old ladies; Guardians of Recoleta (21:00) Blake & Adrienne Kuhre (who run their own non-profit cat rescue in Los Angeles) examine the community cats living in the iconic Buenos Aires Recoleta cemetery, and what became of some kitties removed by well-meaning American rescuers; Gus the Cat (5:00) Lisa Donato’s quirky film about Gus, a man who seems to think he is a cat; Scaredy, the Cat (8:00) Markie Hancock’s heartwarming documentary about a very shy cat who was adopted at the tennis courts in NYC’s Riverside park but avoids everyone except for a few choice people whom she eagerly greets. *Programming subject to change
Tickets for both Film Festivals:
* Non-Members have the option to pay a reduced rate for same day Museum Admission: $3
A portion of every ticket benefits Eleventh Hour Rescue (NY Dog Film Festival, July 21) and Winn Feline Foundation (NY Cat Film Festival, July 22).
On both days, Eleventh Hour rescue will staff a pop-up shelter at the Morris Museum. Meet some of their dogs (Saturday, July 21) and cats (Sunday, July 22) that are available for adoption. www.ehrdogs.org/
To purchase tickets or for more information call the Box Office at 973.971.3706.
To become a Member, and receive the Film Festival special pricing, and visit the museum year-round for free visit click here, email membership@morrismuseum.org, or call 973.971.3721.
About the Festival Founder
In 2015 the first NY Dog Film Festival™ premiered in New York City to a sold out theater. In 2017 the first annual NY Cat Film Festival™ followed suit, both events growing out of Tracie Hotchner’s desire as a pet wellness advocate to expand her Radio Pet Lady™ Network’s outreach to educate the public about adoption, health issues and philosophical aspects of pets in our lives.
Hotchner is a nationally acclaimed pet wellness advocate, who wrote THE CAT BIBLE: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know as well as THE DOG BIBLE: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know. She is recognized as a thought leader in improving the lives of companion animals and is the premiere voice for pets and their people on pet talk radio.
She produced and hosted her own live, call-in show CAT CHAT® for over 7 years on the Martha Stewart channel of Sirius/XM until the channel was canceled. Tracie then created her own Radio Pet Lady™ Network, where she still produces and co-hosts CAT CHAT® along with 10 other pet talk radio podcasts with top veterinarians and pet experts.
Tracie continues to produce and host her own Gracie® Award winning NPR show DOG TALK® (and Kitties, Too!) from Peconic Public Broadcasting in the Hamptons after more than 12 consecutive years and 575 shows.
The Morris Museum is located at 6 Normandy Heights Road (at the corner of Columbia Turnpike) in Morristown, NJ, and offers free parking and full accessibility. Box office hours for phone sales are Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Walk-up hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Please call 973.971.3706 to get tickets.
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