Cats In Conflict

Hello Cats In Conflict whānau, 

We realise that you are long overdue for an update on Cats in Conflict, as one of the wonderful supporters to our Boosted campaign. 

We've had our heads down and tails up making the film over recent months. Slavko and Mike have done an incredible job cutting the original footage of over 100 hours down to a much more manageable 2.5 hours! We now have a very clear story and shape, and our characters are feeling vibrant and they're emotionally connecting with the viewer. 

We were recently given the opportunity to take part in a very selective workshop that accepts approximately 20 films per year from around the world. As part of the programme, 3 x experienced and award-winning editors, film festival programmers and creative producers watch the current cut of the film without any prior knowledge of the film, and give feedback directly to our team about what is and isn't working, what needs to be more clear, and how they view the themes. We had to sit in silence while they all gave feedback one after the other, which was a challenge in itself!! Afterwards we had very robust (but ultimately very positive) discussions about all the notes.

We undertook this process across three (very long!) evenings a fortnight ago, and it was so illuminating and helpful to get an international perspective. The assessors didn't know each other's feedback in advance, so it was invaluable to see where they aligned, helping us decide what changes and cut backs we need to make. We've all been really energised by it, and it's been both challenging and exciting.

Slavko and Mike have been working hard to incorporate all the notes and feedback, and our current goal is to complete a cut that is under 2 hours to go to the programmers of upcoming A-list festivals. Toronto, Venice and Sundance Film Festivals have all shown interest and we will submit as soon as the film is ready.  It has always been our goal to premiere at an A-list festival so we're very much on target. 

We look forward to being able to share more with you soon. 

Thanks again for your support - we wouldn't be at this point without you. 

Meow,

Slavko, Mike, Jill and Alex

Hello supporters,

We wanted to give you a quick update on where things are at with our Cats in Conflict documentary film. 

Thanks to your incredible generosity during our Boosted campaign for the film last year, we were able to return to the Middle East and follow up with all of our Palestinian and Israeli characters/friends/cats. It was a hectic, difficult and incredible time zigzagging across Israel-Palestine, Turkey and Egypt to visit our participants, some of whom have been displaced.  

As a direct result of your support and the addition of this new footage, our application to the NZ Film Commission for further funding was a success.

This means that we are currently in the midst of edit and working towards a rough cut that should be ready (to take to market) in September. We know we have the footage to tell a very powerful story and it's looking great.

Unlike the shituation we're making the film about.

Love and thanks from us as we continue pushing to bring this film to an audience. We can't wait to show you more.  

Meow.

Slavko, Mike, Jill and Alex

Can a shared love of cats be used as a weapon for peace? Having barely scratched the surface of our campaign in just 4 days, the answer from you crazy peace-lovin’ animal lovers is a resounding YES: 50% of our target reached! THANK YOU!

Next step? Share the link with your equally wonderful and crazy peace-lovin’ animal lovers out there and let’s show the world there’s a better way!

Meow.

Slavko.

Kia ora cat fans!

Another huge thank you to all of you wonderful people as we enter into our last week of our crowdfunding campaign. We’re sitting just short of 80% of our $75,000 target, which is absolutely mind-blowing. We’re so grateful for your support.

In order to get us across the line for our all-or-nothing goal, we would love it if you could help us in our final few campaign days by sharing to your friends and family about the film, both in person and via your social media pages.

You can also follow us on Instagram and on Facebook (click those links, or search for Cats In Conflict) for more updates and to find posts that are easy to share to others.

Keep an eye out for Slavko on TVNZ Breakfast on Thursday morning, continuing to spread the word.

Meow. 

Slavko, Jill, Alex and Mike

To all of you, our wonderful, loyal supporters,

We got there. We hit our target! We can't quite believe it, and we are so very grateful for your support and belief in us and this film. Thank you. It really means the world to us.

Now we start planning and organising in earnest to head overseas next month and get this shoot completed. We'll keep you updated along the way, and don't forget to follow us on facebook or instagram for more.

Meow.

Slavko, Mike, Alex and Jill