25 Cats From Qatar - Documentary Feature, USA

Special Texas Presentation in Partnership with San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition With Director Mye Hoang

Multi-national rescuers in Qatar team up with a cat cafe owner from America to rescue 25 cats amidst a population crisis.

Every country in the world grapples with animal welfare, and the feral cat overpopulation crisis is especially grim. Given the universal lack of government resources, the burden falls upon volunteer rescuers to deal with the uphill battle of caring for the ever growing population of cats.
The crisis has reached a breaking point in Doha, capital city of Qatar. The oil-producing nation is one of the world’s wealthiest. However, the luxurious surface and rapid growth are powered by migrant workers who comprise 89% of the population, and end up volunteering their resources to help alleviate the suffering among the nation’s many street cats who struggle to survive the extreme heat, diseases and traffic.

Director and editor Mye Hoang is an #AniFab21 alum and Los Angeles based producer/director and Texas native. Her previous documentary CAT DADDIES won numerous awards such as the Tallgrass Film Festival’s Excellence in the Art of Film, Animalis Fabula Film Festival’s Outstanding Achievement in Documentary, and the Dallas International Film Festival’s Audience Award (2021).

​It has been distributed in over a dozen territories around the world. Most recently, she was a producer on the documentary ASHIMA which world premiered at DOC NYC 2023. Previously she was a producer on the narrative feature I WILL MAKE YOU MINE by Lynn Chen (SXSW 2020), as well as award-winning noir thriller MAN FROM RENO (Best Feature at the LA Film Festival and Spirit Award Nominee 2014). She has directed numerous narrative short films that have been showcased internationally. Her first narrative feature VIETTE, an Asian American coming-of-age story, debuted in 2012 and toured film festivals around the country.

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Director Statement
When I was touring with my previous documentary CAT DADDIES (2022), I met a cat cafe owner in Milwaukee and learned about her international rescue work. As a lifelong cat owner, I was aware of the efforts to help pets from abroad find homes in the US – some came from conflict areas or natural disasters. But moving cats 7,000 miles from countries like Qatar seemed extreme.
This curiosity set me on my new film 25 CATS FROM QATAR, to discover the country and its culture, and why animal rescuers there have reached a breaking point. They are literally unable to solicit support from within and feel they have no choice but to turn outside, to the UK and US.
To immerse the audience, I focused on all the nuts and bolts of this unsanctioned rescue mission that rapidly unfolded in 4 days. I knew that witnessing the tedious preparation and the selection process of 25 cats in all its totality would be ultimately moving. Being able to document this grand act of love for cats has been a truly rewarding experience that I hope will inspire audiences worldwide.

Partnered with San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition