I Had a Dream - The Dog Film Festival – And It’s Coming True!

How often do you have a dream --- and then it comes true because other people have been dreaming it, too?!  The Dog Film Festival is my first experience of what it feels like to “imagine it and they will come” --- and it’s a pretty wonderful feeling.  Not so very long ago, I had a daydream of creating a film festival in Manhattan, where all the wonderfully crazy New York City dog lovers would be able to come together and have a shared experience celebrating the human-canine bond. I imagined how cool it would be to sit in a darkened theatre alongside other dog aficionados, watching a succession of short, dog-themed movies that would surprise us by moving us to tears, laughter and amazement as we enjoyed heart-warming, uplifting, thought-provoking, dog-themed movies together.

I was so proud when Halo Purely for Pets became one of the earliest and most enthusiastic sponsors of the Dog Film Festival, going so far as to put their name to the 5 PM screening on October 3rd at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side. Halo has been unique in the pet world in utilizing film to tell stories that reflect the heartbeat of their company --- the deep bond that people have with their pets, and the pure happiness that can happen when they go to shelters to rescue those pets, enriching their own lives in the process. It also reflects Halo’s values that the wonderful shelter Bideawee is the beneficiary of the Festival, which means the more successful we are, the more we can help Bideawee to take care of dogs and cats across New York and Long Island.

Several of the short films that Halo has helped to create will be shown at the Festival and contribute to the Feel Good Feeling that will certainly define the screenings. There will be mid-morning, afternoon and evening screenings of two different sets of 2-hours of short, canine-themed films, each of which will be repeated. While it might seem premature to buy tickets now for an October event, it’s an awfully big city filled with exuberant dog lovers, so my suggestion would be to buy your tickets now and assure yourself of a primo seat, since they are reserved and numbered. If you’d like to treat yourself to a truly First Class experience, I recommend snagging a pair of the very limited Founding Member tickets, as many people are already doing.  Those tickets admit you to the gala premiere dogs-welcome cocktail Pooch Party Friday October 2nd at Ruby & Jack’s on the Upper East Side (with doggy swag bags crammed full of high value gifts), and an “all access dog tag” that will get you into the theatre on October 3rd through a special VIP entrance and into roped-off, reserved prime seats.

I had the dream --- and generous companies like Halo, VCA Hospitals and Canine Styles boutiques are helping me make it a reality for all of us. Please come and share the love.

--Tracie Hotchner

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