For Immediate Release Contact: David Huffman, Cleveland Cinemas Director of Marketing 440.349.3306 dhuffman@clevelandcinemas.com<mailto:dhuffman@clevelandcinemas.com> June 30, 2020 Quarantine Cat Film Fest Comes to Cleveland Cinemas Virtual Screening Room Starting July 3rd (Cleveland, OH) A new online cat video movie is making its virtual premiere in Cleveland on July 3rd, and proceeds will help keep local jobs at Cleveland Cinemas locations amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Filmmakers sifted through than 1,100 submissions from all over the world to create Quarantine Cat Video Film Festival— a 70-minute compilation cat feature that will be available to watch at home through virtual cinema. The film brings together the cutest, funniest, bravest, and most loving cat videos exclusively filmed during the 2020 quarantine. Its release will be through virtual cinema – a new tool used by cinemas nationwide to sell tickets for newly released films that customers can watch at home “The response has been better than we could have ever hoped and we have so much great content to work with,” said Brian Mendelssohn, the film’s director. “It’s going to be a really fun feature with hilarious and adventurous cats and, of course, some adorable kittens too.” Quarantine Cat Film Fest was developed to help bring digital revenue to independent theaters during the COVID-19 closures. More than 60 independent cinemas, most of which were closed this spring, have signed on to show the movie through virtual cinema and the number continues to grow. Half of the $12 ticket will go directly back to the theater screening it through its virtual cinema portal. Unlike most virtual cinema films, Quarantine Cat Film Festival was created and distributed through Row House Cinema, an 84-seat independently owned theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mendelssohn, who also owns Row House Cinema, and his wife came up with the idea at the beginning of the quarantine when they were watching their own cats, Oliver and Isabella, play at home. “We thought, if everyone is stuck inside with our cats anyway we might as well start filming the hilarious things they do and make a cat movie” said Mendelssohn. “Thanks to the huge success of our annual CatVideoFest program at the Cedar Lee Theatre, we knew that people never tire of watching cats do silly things,” says Jon Forman, President of Cleveland Cinemas. “We appreciate the continued support of our Virtual Screening Room titles as we wait to re-open our locations.” The film will be available in Cleveland Cinemas Virtual Screening Room starting July 3rd. Tickets can be purchased at clevelandcinemas.com. ###