Documentary Cat People Finish Fund

FINISHING FUND for "Cat People"


INTRODUCTION

Hi! My name is Asako Ushio.  I was born in Japan and moved to US as an aspiring story teller.  I love films, but more than anything, my passion is CATS.

“Cat People” is my very first documentary about….cat people.  More specifically, it is a one-hour documentary that poses the question of how we as humans coexist with cats by exploring the eclectic lives of devoted cat lovers.  We’ll journey from America to a small island in Japan to learn and explore various human/feline relationships.

As a longtime owner of cats, I’ve always thought of myself as the perfect “mother”.  And there are so many others like myself dedicating their time, passion, and money to their love of felines.  No other animal on the planet inspires as much loyalty from humans.  However, I began to realize the feline/human relationship was much more complicated than I ever imagined.  Cats and humans coexist through multiple levels of domesticity, from household companions to wild street animals to secluded island inhabitants.  CAT PEOPLE explores the evolving challenges facing cats living in a human world.

TO FINISH THE FILM

I am in the final stages of post production and need some generous funding from you guys to complete the film!  The funding will go toward final writing, music, mix, color, online, and graphic/animation. I am a working editor in the documentary field so editing is covered, but I need to pay other creative talents to take the film to a professional level.

But wait. NOT all the funding is going toward my film.  5% will be donated to the spay neuter clinic, FixNation, and another 5% will be donated to the Trap Neuter Release rescue group, Luxe Paws.  I would like to support TNR (Trap Neuter Release) practice in the city of Los Angeles.  Here’s the information for these organizations:

http://fixnation.org/
https://savekittensla.org/

WHAT I AM GOING TO DO WITH THE FILM

We often see happy, fluffy, and funny cat videos, but disregard the struggles that homeless or neglected cats face to survive.  My biggest goal with this film is to spread the love, compassion, and knowledge for all cats, and to inspire people to become REAL CAT LOVERS"Cat People" Promo !  Through this film I hope people will rethink their relationship with cats and our shared future together. In addition to film festivals and TV/Streaming services, I plan to hold many public screenings to deliver the message and continue to support the TNR community.

CHARACTERS

Jacquie Navratil is a founder of the street cat rescue group called LUXE PAWS.  She advocates TNR, or Trap Neuter Release, to address the over population of cats in Los Angeles.  Jacquie and Luxe Paws volunteers have day jobs, and trapping cats is what they do on Friday night.  I also follow Luxe Paws volunteer, Chilly Nathan, and a 10-year old pair of trappers, Kathy and Melody.

Karn Myers is a co-founder of FixNation, a spay neuter clinic in Los Angeles.  A cat lover in her own right, she founded FixNation with her husband, Mark.  He passed away due to his terminal illness, ALS, so Karn keeps his legacy alive by saving as many cats as possible.  This segment provides a rare look inside the surgery room where cats are treated.

Kate Benjamin is a cat lover and co-author of the books “Catification” and “Catify to Satisfy.”  She helps cat owners "Catify" their spaces, which is the design of attractive objects for both cats and people to use in their homes.  Domestic cats have barely evolved in the last 9,000 years and still show signs of wildness.  We often forget that we are forcing cats to live in unnatural environments to them-- the human home.

Yoshinao Tanaka is a cat photographer residing in Tokyo.  He frequently visits Tashiro-jima, aka Cat Island, with veterinarian Dr. Kress. Together they take care of the cats and document their environment.  Cats on the island of Tashiro-jima in the northern part of Japan have an average life expectancy of five years. They have no safety bubble, yet live a life full of freedom.  They are neither domesticated nor wild, rather loosely connected to the people that share the island with them.  Currently, the cat population on Tashiro-jima is 120 and the human population is 50.

LASTLY

I can’t wait to show you the film!  I made sure “Cat People” is a FUN movie for both cat lovers and for those that don’t care too much about them.  I hope my message reaches your heart!
Thank you for your support,

Asa