The nation of Qatar has a street cat population equal to the entire human population of the entire country – and is growing fast. Disease is rampant, and local adoption is rare. 25 CATS FROM QATAR follows one mission – led by a network of multinational underground animal rescuers in Doha and a Milwaukee flight attendant/ cat cafe owner – to transport out 25 lucky felines and find homes for them abroad, all the while searching for a long-term solution to the crisis.
Special Guest Director Mye Hoang
Director and editor Mye Hoang is a 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, Newport Beach 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.
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.