I R Famus! AKA, the LOLCats Take Over MPLS

August turned out to be quite a busy month.  Between birthdays, fall fashion bonanzas, and the typical stuff we all try to cram in as Autumn approaches, there's not a lot of downtime to be had.  And I'm not even counting the Minnesota State Fair this year, because I'm about 99% sure I won't make it to that annual ritual of fried food on a stick, insane people-watching, and livestock displays.

However, I was purrfectly happy to close out the summer months with quite a different event.  As in the first (but probably not last) Internet Cat Video Film Fest.  After all, what’s better than watching the plethora of cat videos you've already peeped a hundred times from the secrecy of your laptop?  Why, LOL-ing at them on the big screen.  With 10,000 of your closest feline-lovin’ friends.  Yes, we can haz film fest!  Cheezburger, no, is not importanz.

What started as a seemingly hairballed idea quickly grew to become an international sensation, with media coverage from bigwigs like the New York Times, the Huffington Post, and even the BBC.  Hosted by the Walker Art Center and its Open Field program, a massive sea of cat video adorers filled the hillside next to the art museum to witness epic-sized mewling, jumping, barking, and self-reflection.  Sometimes cute and cuddly, sometimes cat-astrophic, and almost always funny, we enjoyed the big screen antics with a lovely Minneapolis twilight serving as our backdrop.

Here are some photos I snapped from the evening:

After a quick dinner and drink, we crossed the bridge that spans I-94 to get to the Walker, which you can see popping up to the right of the traffic.

The event planners expected about 5,000 people to show up and got closer to double that number.  It made for a very cozy night.  And yes, there were cats (and dogs) in attendance.

Waiting for the LOL-ing to begin...

 A glance back at the museum, rising up from the crowds.

Introducing the fest...

Sorry I don't have better images...

We laughed.  We cried.  And I can tell you it was better than Cats (the musical).  Who needs Mr. Mistoffelees when you can watch Maru propel himself through box after empty box.  I need to watch these videos again.  Right meow.  

Are you a fan of those LOL Cats?  What do you think of the whole phenomena?  Were you one of my fellow festival attendees?  If so, what was your favorite clip from the parade of kitties?  I liked 4-5 of them especially, including the random Boots & Cats, the creepy yet awesome Kitty City, and of course, Maru.  I'll close out today's post with another new fave - Cat vs. Metronome.  As someone who all too well remembers practicing my Mozart or études with one of those contraptions snapping at me, I enjoyed the outcome as much as that cat.  Go ahead and click on the Walker Art Center's image below and it'll take you to the vid.  

Still want to know more about this ridiculously successful event?  Click on the screenshot of the Walker's homepage (taken the day of the fest and apparently taken over by kittehz):

OK.  I R tiredz.  Too maneh laffs.  Needz nap.  And mehbeh drink.

Images: my own, except the last two (credited above)