On February 19, 2017, dozens of dogs and their owners braved the rain for the puportunity to attend the first national NY Dog Film Festival at the Roxie Theatre. The film fest was founded and directed by Tracie Hotchner, the host of Radio Pet Lady Network, an informative podcast network about animal wellness. The San Francisco showing followed on the tail of a successful 2016 national tour in 10 other cities. Theaters were packed with the goodest boys and girls for two 75-minute smorgasbords of canine-themed films.
“We are excited to bring animal lovers together in San Francisco to experience the many ways that people love and need their dogs,” Tracie said. “We’re so happy the iconic Roxie Theatre loves dogs as much as we do and is welcoming them into screenings with their people.”
A medley of 25 short films was shown during the 75-minute period, running the gamut of genres from documentaries to PSAs to animated shorts — some of them award winning. Here were a few of our favorites: Game of Bones, a spoof on the similarly titled HBO hit; The Poodle Trainer, a Russian film about a circus that works with poodles; and Second Chances, a documentary about a program that allows imprisoned women to train service dogs. We also teared up at two short films about veterans with PTSD and their shelter dogs. As Tracie explained, “[It] is the ultimate celebration of the human-canine bond.”
The Roxie Theatre has been home to independent films for over a century and is one of the oldest nonprofit cinemas in San Francisco. Its proximity to Rescue Row — the block of Alabama Street between 15th and 16th that hosts a number of city animal-welfare groups — made it the perfect host for this film fest. The open-admission city shelter had adoptable dogs at the premises, and 50 percent proceeds from this BYOD event went to the SFACC. Even better, the NY Dog Film Festival shares proceeds with local shelters wherever it travels.
Here are a few of the films on YouTube, if you’d like to catch a glimpse: A Boy and His Dog, David and Goliath, Dog Years, Dear Captain K9 Warriors and Valentina. Good luck holding in the sobs.
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