Cat Daddies
Once, they were gods who had to be placated.
Now, they still need placating, but they also help save lives and bring hope in a time of distress.
We are, of course, talking about cats.
In her new documentary, Cat Daddies, Mye Hoang explores the relationship between a diverse group of American men and their feline friends.
At the centre of her film is homeless New Yorker David Giovanni, and his cat, Lucky. It’s 2020. David receives bad news about his health. And then, the pandemic strikes. What will happen to them next?
Once upon a time, David saved Lucky’s life. Now, Lucky will save his.
As Mye tells Matthew Sherwood, Cat Daddies is ‘a love letter’ to men who love cats. But more than that, it shows how cats can help men build their mental health, provide stability to them in a chaotic world, and even make friendships.
Cat Daddies is a tender and inspiring film. It is also a thought provoking one, and, in Mye’s words, an ‘emotional roller coaster’ that explores the topics of masculinity and vulnerability.
Join Matthew Sherwood as he discovers a world both familiar and strange, happy and sad, but always hopeful: that of the Cat Daddies.
“... it's also inspired by my own story with my husband, who, when we were first dating, he was not a cat guy at all. And then one day a cat found him... It only took a few days, and he was hooked.... it just goes to show... you think you know who you are. And sometimes life surprises you.” – Mye Hoang
Time Stamps
00:00 - Trailer for Cat Daddies
01:47 – Introducing Mye Hoang
04:20 – Positive reaction to the film
06:19 – Mye Hoang’s synopsis for Cat Daddies
09:38 – The advantages of being a cat daddy
12:08 – What makes people so passionate about cats
13:18 – How Cat Daddies will surprise viewers
15:08 – Men shouldn’t feel they have to live in a certain way
16:54 – How the Cat Daddies project came about
20:43 – The challenge of making a film with nine subjects across the USA
23:14 – A shout out to Robert Bennett, Mye’s DP
24:45 –Cat Daddies as a light hearted portrait
25:21 – The advantage of having fewer resources to make a film
26:48 – The impact of the pandemic on making Cat Daddies
28:00 – How Mye came to meet David Giovanni
32:27 – The challenge of filming in a hospital during the pandemic
33:37 – Editing the film
34:29 – Cat Daddies on the festival circuit
35:27 – Distribution deals for Cat Daddies
37:36 – How Mye sees her future career
39:10 – What next for Mye
Resources
Cat Daddies
Cat Daddies on IMDb and Twitter
MovieMaker Magazine
Innersound Audio
Alamo Pictures
Connect with Mye Hoang
More from Factual America
All That Breathes
Deep in the Heart of Texas Wildlife
Happiness is a Journey: The Unseen America
6 Best Film Schools in London
What Makes a Good Documentary Film?
Crowdfund Your Documentary Film: Expert Strategies for Success
Best documentaries about mental health struggles
Best Documentaries About Dogs: Unleashing Canine Stories and History
Alex Gibney's Theranos Scandal Documentary
Best documentaries about Korea
Best Documentaries about Gender: Exploring Perspectives and Stories
Best Documentaries about Dieting: Top Picks for Informed Choices
Transcript for Factual America Episode 110: Cat Daddies
Mye Hoang 00:00
I'm Mye Hoang. I'm the director of the documentary, Cat Daddies.
Speaker 1 00:07
People see a cat dad, and are like, You must be weird and creepy. And I feel like we're getting to a point where it's going to be okay to be like, Yeah, I have cats.
Speaker 2 00:16
One of my good friends in college, asked this group of male friends, What do you guys think if I got a couple of cats? Definitely the reaction was like, No, man, you can't do that.
Speaker 3 00:25
Men have always loved cats. Some of those old stereotypes are fading away.
Speaker 4 00:31
We started an Instagram on it. There was some media interest. They want to know who owns this cat. You know, where does this cat come from?
Speaker 5 00:39
The bigger we got online, the more people started reaching out to us, and wanting to meet us.
Speaker 6 00:43
It wasn't going to be that I needed to train him. He kind of came out of the box as an adventure cat.
Speaker 7 00:50
I had no idea of her love for cats. She came over. That was it. I was like, Keep doing your thing, Toodles, good boy.
Speaker 8 01:00
When you punch in, in the morning, you don't know what you're about to run into. You probably have a hard time getting the guys to admit Flame helps. But it's proven that even just petting an animal can bring your blood pressure down.
Speaker 9 01:12
I definitely feel a sense of purpose in this work; the immediate gratification of taking a cat off the street.
Speaker 10 01:20
Been homeless for almost two years. It's hard.
Speaker 11 01:24
Lucky first and foremost has become his family.
Speaker 12 01:28
This little creature just saved my life.
Matthew Sherwood 01:47
Welcome to Factual America. We're brought to you by Alamo Pictures. Austin and London based production company, making documentaries about America for international audiences. I'm your host, Matthew Sherwood. Each week, I watch a hit documentary, and then talk with the filmmakers, and their subjects. This week, it is my pleasure to welcome Mye Hoang, the award-winning director and producer of Cat Daddies. The film is a heartwarming and tender portrait of a diverse group of men whose lives have been forever changed by their love of cats. Cat Daddies takes us on an inspiring journey all across the US during the challenging early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when people desperately needed hope and companionship. Join us as we talk with Mye about men and their cats in her film, which has made a splash on the festival circuit. Mye Hoang, welcome to Factual America. How are things with you?
Mye Hoang 02:42
I'm good, thanks. I'm in LA today, and I believe you're in the UK.
Matthew Sherwood 02:49
I am in the UK where I think your film is going to be releasing in a few weeks on a theatrical release. If people weren't paying attention to the intro, we're talking about the film Cat Daddies. It's done the festival circuit. A winner of multiple awards. We can talk more about that in a few minutes. It's already had its theatrical release, I believe, in the US and some other English speaking countries. Been released in South Korea. And I believe it's releasing in the UK on December 12. Is that correct?
Mye Hoang 03:21
I think there are some various dates we're doing. It's a slightly experimental kind of release. And so, it's a lot of special events all across the country; all across the world, really, in many continents. And so, and we're still running it here in America. So, I'm actually going up to the bay area this weekend for it.
Matthew Sherwood 03:45
Excellent. And that's - I guess, I found the dates on your website. So, what's your website's name again?
Mye Hoang 03:53
catdaddiesmovie.com
Matthew Sherwood 03:55
Okay, so check that out. Anyone who wants to find out if it's being shown near them, I would - I'd say first port of call is catdaddiesmovie.com.
Mye Hoang 04:05
And we're always adding cities and dates. So, it's gonna be rolling out there for the next couple of months.
Matthew Sherwood 04:12
Okay. Well, let me just congratulate you because it's done quite well. Did you expect such a reaction to this film?
Mye Hoang 04:20
Well, I certainly hoped for a good reaction. But yeah, I had no idea and because of the pandemic, you know, while I was, you know, editing and even after I finished, it was really hard to know how it was going to be received; if it was even working. Because at that point, you only know from a few people you send the link to, to colleagues, but you really don't get that general audience and, you know, being able to see it in a theater - and I think this is a audience film, very specifically so, and so, not having that for a year or so in the process of making it, you're not being able to test screen it with 30 people, like we usually would while we're editing. Yeah, it was difficult. So, I really didn't know what to expect. I knew that I did the best job that I could, given what we were handed, going into a pandemic in the middle of the shooting schedule. So, yeah, I'm just - I feel really lucky that it is connecting with people. And I've met so many people who are coming back multiple times to see it in the theatre and bringing their mom, bringing a different friend...
Matthew Sherwood 05:39
Did they bring their cats?
Mye Hoang 05:42
No, but some of the cats that are in the movie have been able to come and sit in on a screening, and do a Q and A with us. So, that's been fun. Actually, more dogs have been seeing it in the theater. I've met a few people who have service dogs.
Matthew Sherwood 05:57
Right.
Mye Hoang 05:58
They bring their dog to see it. And that's been pretty fun. Yeah.
Matthew Sherwood 06:03
Well, why don't we get - maybe you can tell our audience what is Cat Daddies all about, if the title's not obvious. I mean, maybe you can give us a bit of a synopsis of the film, because I imagine most of our listeners haven't had the joy of seeing this film yet.
Mye Hoang 06:19
Yeah, so, it's basically a love letter to cat guys out there. It's combining two things I love, which is men and cats, and their bonds and relationships that they have with each other, which, for some reason, give me so much - spark joy, when I see images and videos on social media, of men holding their little kitty. And so, I just wanted to make a movie about it. I'm a cat lover. I'm also, you know, I've been a filmmaker, mostly in the narrative world, so, this is actually my first documentary. And it was basically I just wanted to make something that I would like to watch. And I'm a cinephile. And so, I did make this intentionally for the big screen. You know, I like cat videos as much as anyone else on the internet. But there's just something about being with an audience, watching cats being larger than life. And, you know, all the cuteness that they bring, but also, it also became, I mean, it was kind of an exploration of modern masculinity, right. I don't know what it's like where you are, but I know, in America, there's a lot of stigma against men with cats; like, it's somehow not seen as manly. And there's that whole adage of like, man's best friend. And I think dogs being seen as, like, a protector, and obedient, that somehow they're just psychologically less appealing to men, than cats, but what I find with the subjects of my film, and just other cat guys, I know, in general, you know, I think they've been conditioned for so long, that they just don't know that they could - that this could be their, you know, the thing that they're into, and benefits of having a cat, I just think that people just don't realize it. There's so much wrong information and misconceptions about cats in the media. And so, this is what I wanted to make. And it's also inspired by my own story with my husband, who, when we were first dating, he was not a cat guy at all. And then one day a cat found him. And it only took a few days, and he was hooked. And the rest is history. And it just goes to show that like, you know, you think you know who you are. And sometimes life surprises you.
Matthew Sherwood 08:52
I guess your husband could have been one of the subjects of the film. If he'd wanted to.
Mye Hoang 08:58
Yeah, a lot of people asked me about that. But, you know, the problem was, is that my cats would have been too spooked by having a crew. So, that was definitely not going to happen.
Matthew Sherwood 09:15
So, basically, I mean, because I've had the joy of seeing the film, you basically - not just basically - you follow the lives of nine men over, what, roughly a year or so, maybe even a little longer than that, and you document how cats have changed their lives. Is that a - I mean, you've already talked about sort of the other themes you're exploring, but that's essentially what...
Mye Hoang 09:35
Yeah. Yeah...
Matthew Sherwood 09:36
... we're looking at.
Mye Hoang 09:35
... major changes. I mean, either the cat become an Instagram celebrity or the cat becomes occupational therapy, often for a lot of these men, especially the ones that are frontline workers, whether it's firefighters, professional truck driver...
Matthew Sherwood 09:38
Yeah.
Mye Hoang 09:38
Yeah, just like they tell me about how having something constant, and something there for them is so helpful mentally, in an environment and career where things are chaotic and unpredictable. So - and then I think also a lot of these men - with a lot of these men, the cats launched a creative side in them, too, that they would have never discovered otherwise. So, the truck driver kind of went into photography and cat fashion. The software engineer is always building things and trying to, you know, build things for the cats and design things. Yeah, there's just like, it's been really interesting.
Matthew Sherwood 10:56
And it's that combined with social media; like, for instance, that truck driver; I wasn't sure where that storyline was going, but then finding out that people go - I guess he just started - has posted his cat on social media. Now he does meet ups, right. People travel hundreds of miles, just to meet him and his cat.
Mye Hoang 11:14
Yeah. They just got back into it. So, they've actually been RVing during this theatrical release around America. So, they drove from Florida to New York, then to Dallas. And then now they're in San Francisco.
Matthew Sherwood 11:30
Yeah.
Mye Hoang 11:30
I mean, they're just, like, going all over and meeting fans during our movie release. It's been great.
Matthew Sherwood 11:38
So, I mean, I guess you knew this going in. But people are definitely very passionate about their cats, aren't they?
Mye Hoang 11:44
Oh, very. People are always sharing their pictures at the screenings. And, yeah, it's just lovely.
Matthew Sherwood 11:53
So, for those who might be, who maybe aren't considered themselves cat people, what is it about cats that makes people so passionate about them, you think?
Mye Hoang 12:08
What is it about cats? I think they're just really endlessly fascinating and entertaining. Like, I feel like not every day is the same with them; like, my cats always doing something that they shouldn't, or they're doing - I don't know, they're just always doing - I'm always discovering things about them. Maybe not on a daily basis, but definitely over the years; quirks about their personality. And they're just like - yeah, I think it's just - I don't want to say dogs are repetitive, and, I mean, I've had dogs and I've had cats, and, I don't know, cats are just more mysterious. And they just, you know, they just - and because they're hunters, too. I mean, they're just always doing crazy things, silly things.
Matthew Sherwood 13:04
And so, I mean, when people finally get to see this film, what is going to surprise them, you think? What are you seeing with - because now that you're screening it, you've been at festivals; what is the audience reaction? What are they surprised most by?
Mye Hoang 13:18
They're gonna be surprised that it's a little bit of a emotional roller coaster. It is very cute, but a lot of people have told me they've been surprised by the emotions, and, you know, that they're feeling things, you know, from the film. And they weren't expecting that. And I think there's not a lot of cat content out there that goes that deep. Because it's not actually, it's not even a movie about cats. It really, on the surface, I think it is about men and cats, but then it really becomes about men. And what kind of men do we want in this world, and especially after what we've been through these past few years. And, you know, I was sitting down editing this through, you know, 2020 and, you know, difficult year for everyone, but also just a crazy year, just in terms of toxic masculinity and the election that we're going through and just kind of everything, right, and I just love spending time with these men. And I think most of the audience feels the same way. I mean, each man is just interesting in his own way. You know, they're just a joy to spend time with, and I'd rather spend time with men like this, both in real life and at the movies, than, you know, guys who are going to be, you know, fighting, and using violence, right, to solve problems. These are men who are using kindness and compassion to solve problems.
Matthew Sherwood 15:04
Well, they're very - what's the expression - they're very comfortable in themselves, these men, that you have.
Mye Hoang 15:08
Yes, they unabashedly love their cats, and I think that's what's so appealing to me. I grew up with very stern men in my life, including my father; didn't really put his emotions or vulnerability out there. And so, I think we need that sort of to change and I think it's going to be better for everyone, you know, mental health wise; like, we, you know, I don't think men should feel like they have to be boxed in and be a certain way to prove a certain thing. For, you know, our society, especially here in America.
Matthew Sherwood 15:08
All right. Well, I think that takes us to a good point for an early break for our audience. We'll be right back with Mye Hoang, the producer and director of Cat Daddies. It's out on theatrical release, check out the website, and it's releasing in the UK shortly.
Factual America Midroll 15:51
You're listening to Factual America. Subscribe to our mailing list, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter @alamopictures to keep up-to-date with new releases, or upcoming shows. Check out the show notes to learn more about the program, our guests, and the team behind the production. Now back to Factual America.
Matthew Sherwood 16:25
Welcome back to Factual America. I'm here with Mye Hoang, the producer and director of Cat Daddies, out on theatrical release in the US and many other countries. And it's releasing in the UK shortly. So, Mye, I mean, you did mention this a bit, but how did this - I mean, it's one thing to say, 'I want to do a project about men and masculinity.' but how did this project come about? Because it's quite an ambitious project.
Mye Hoang 16:54
You know, it is. And the idea came to me at a time where I didn't want to do any more filmmaking, quite honestly. I'm married to a filmmaker. So, with two of us in the same house, it's a little difficult. I was going to, maybe, just continue producing, but not directing. But then this idea just kept nagging me, and when I talked to people about it, even non-cat people, they really sparked to the idea of it. And it did seem to be a big trend or movement on social media; there's just more and more men just coming out, unabashedly loving their cats, and being proud of it. And I just thought, yeah, I just thought, like, maybe I could do this. And then going into it, I really didn't know what I was gonna find. I didn't really have it - like, even documentaries, they're often scripted out...
Matthew Sherwood 17:56
Yep.
Mye Hoang 17:57
... or outlined in some way. And then, as you know, with documentaries, especially the longer that they're being, you know, shot, the kind of story can kind of change and become something different. And I was going to give this - you know, I really only budgeted, we're going to do this in a year. I'm gonna skin up; like, this is really, like, getting my feet wet and having fun. This was not actually supposed to be too challenging.
Matthew Sherwood 18:27
Yeah.
Mye Hoang 18:28
And then, yeah, and then we all know what happened in 2020. And then it became this huge challenge. I didn't even know if we would finish filming at all. But yeah, it's a very, very scrappy, independent thing. It was just sort of, let me see if I can do this, and get a whole bunch of my friends to help me, you know, make this; either contributing on the crew or, you know, contributing through crowdfunding, things like that. And so, this is a very, very tiny scale movie. And so, that was kind of the beginnings. Yeah. And then we just, yeah, again, I'm a documentary junkie; like, I think this actually works better for me as a person, you know, as a creative. I actually think I enjoy spending time with real subjects, rather than actors, and producers, and people that bring a lot of ego to the table. I really just enjoy getting to know real down-to-earth people. And so, I think I'm gonna keep going with this. If I continue filmmaking, I'll keep going with the documentary. And, you know, I've been kind of at it for twenty years. So, it's taken a long time to actually figure out what's for me.
Matthew Sherwood 19:56
Well, some of us never figure it out, so, well done! I mean, I think - I mean, the thing that strikes me is that you say it's a scrappy, independent, small scale project, it certainly doesn't come across that way. So, in terms of the way it's filmed, I mean, it's not just - I mean, I was going to ask you, but you'd already kind of mentioned it earlier. I mean, did you sometimes wake up and think, I can't believe I'm making a cat video, but you're not making a cat video, right. You're making this sweeping film and you've got nine subjects. I mean, a lot of people would have been - would have been difficult enough to do two, three different subjects. But you've got nine, I mean, you're having to criss-cross the United States, tracking the stories of these people. How did you manage that?
Mye Hoang 20:43
You know, looking back now I was, when I first started all this, I was writing grants, writing for - you know, trying to get some grant money, which I didn't get, but I'm now looking back, I'm like, they probably looked at my grant application, and was like, You're doing nine subjects? This is not possible. They probably threw my application in the trash. Yeah, and so, I - it was just really important to me to get a diverse mix of men and cats, right. I mean, as cat lovers, we want to see different cats. We don't, you know, just want to follow a few. So, it was important to me to get, you know, a good mix. And so, that's kind of what led to that ambition of, like, that number of characters. And that's why it was so important to make sure all the characters felt different. Because you do want the audience to be able to keep it all in their head, right. They're being introduced to, like, a new guy every, you know, six or seven minutes. So, having them be in different parts of the country, environments; having their cats look different. All of that was all intentional. And it was also intentional, like you say the word 'sweeping', and actually that word hasn't come up. But that actually is probably the best way to describe it. I mean, we really did want it to be cinematic. So, we really tried hard to do that. Because, you know, I said I come from a narrative background. And so, and most of the crew I was working with, the background was narrative, not documentary. And so, we did want to make sure that it looked good. And that we, you know, shot in Scope, which is really unnecessary to go so widescreen, right...
Matthew Sherwood 22:35
Right.
Mye Hoang 22:37
... but, that's what we did. And I'm just so happy that it turned out that way, but we - It definitely looks like it cost more than it did. And that was intentional, too. And my background is micro-budget filmmaking. You know, my husband and I have done a lot of indie, you know, very low budget films, so, we just - I guess we just know how to do it.
Matthew Sherwood 23:06
Yeah. Do you think - I mean, first up, I was gonna ask you a question about that, but we should give a shout out to your DP, right; because I mean, I think...
Mye Hoang 23:14
Yeah, Robert Bennett.
Matthew Sherwood 23:16
Yeah.
Mye Hoang 23:16
Yeah, he's a fresh new face, too. I believe this might have been the first feature he shot.
Matthew Sherwood 23:23
Is that right?
Mye Hoang 23:24
Yeah. So, we had worked with him on some other feature films where he was the gaffer, the lighting guy, and we were so impressed with his work, we're like, Hey, you want to work on this feature about cats? And, you know, there's not going to be very much lighting, can you deal with that?! So, it's kind of like the opposite of like, kind of what he was doing, but he's just so good at what he does, and he really wanted to do more cinematography work, so this was a good opportunity for him. And he loves animals. So, he's kind of like the perfect person for it. And, you know, as you can imagine, it's hard to film with cats. They don't take direction well...
Matthew Sherwood 24:11
At all!
Mye Hoang 24:11
... at all! So, you're basically just waiting for them to do something. And so, it takes a very patient crew to just sort of wait on the cats to kind of feel like doing something for us.
Matthew Sherwood 24:26
But what is great is it doesn't - at the same time, it doesn't feel like a nature doc or doesn't feel like Discovery - I mean, nothing against Discovery, but, you know, it doesn't have that feel of, you know, something that might just really focus on the cats. I mean, it's just, as you've said, it's just very - it's very artistic, and it's very well done.
Mye Hoang 24:45
It's kind of a collective portrait, I think. There's not much, you know, it's not, like, trying to educate anyone. It's really just a nice, easy breezy film, I think.
Matthew Sherwood 25:00
And you said you've got a background, you and your husband, in micro-budget films? I mean, do you think that makes you more resourceful, it makes you, you know - you don't have the advantages of unlimited funds in order - when you're making a film, so you have to just make the best of what you've got. Do you think that helps you, actually?
Mye Hoang 25:21
Yeah. There's a film critic I regard very highly named Jennifer Merin out here in the US, who said something along the lines of, like, that, when it comes to art, money ruins everything. That's not her exact words, but that's the gist of it.
Matthew Sherwood 25:41
Yeah.
Mye Hoang 25:41
And I'm starting to believe that, and she just think, you know, her argument is that the best work is going to come from not having the resources and not having the money, because it forces you to be more creative. It forces you to work harder. It forces you to really consider your audience, and to collaborate with people. So, I think, yeah, I think there's a lot of truth to that. I mean, I think that once, you know, her argument was that you see a lot of filmmakers, they do something great independently, and then, once they're handed a big budget. The work turns to mush or something, you know.
Matthew Sherwood 26:22
Yeah. No, it's...
Mye Hoang 26:24
So, I do... Yeah, I do think not having a big budget really forced us to really examine, like, what is most important in the storytelling here.
Matthew Sherwood 26:37
And then at the same time, you've, as you've already mentioned, it was all done - you got started before Covid hit, right. But just a few months before, I gather.
Mye Hoang 26:48
Yeah, we were in - we started Fall of 2019. We were scheduled to finish April 2020. So, we actually had some travel, we were actually had some - we were actually supposed to film in Europe towards the end of March. And so, of course, that all got cancelled. And we - so, I lost some cats that year, just a little bit, but, you know, it's okay, because, like, some of the characters, especially the homeless man in New York, he became a bigger part of the film. And so, we ended up spending more time with him, and we didn't do anything overseas... maybe I'll save that for a sequel or something! But yeah, it just became - it just focused more on America, and, you know, what we're going through.
Matthew Sherwood 27:47
I mean, how do you - I mean, I know - I think it's - you know, some of the subjects you've probably found via social media, or news stories, or whatever, but the homeless guy, David, how did you find him?
Mye Hoang 28:00
So, he was the only one not on social media at the time. He was a tip from a woman, cat lady friend, that had been trying to help him for a couple years, trying to get him off the street. And she reached out; she somehow heard my project about it on the internet. And I had already started filming. I mean, I had already, you know, shot with three cat dads already. And had everything kind of little more or less mapped out. And I said, I don't think I have room. And tonally, this is very different from what I set out to do.
Matthew Sherwood 28:37
Yeah.
Mye Hoang 28:37
So, but, you know, I met him, I think on FaceTime or something, and I also, you know, heard more about his story. And he just melts your heart. I mean, he's just such a character. It's just like, we couldn't not include him because he is kind of the epitome of a cat dad, because he was sacrificing shelter in order to stay with his cat, even if that meant spending the winter on the streets of New York. And so, yeah, he's - he really - yeah, he really was so different from all the other stories, but we just couldn't not include him. If he was willing to do it. You know, it's like, we got to make this work. Or maybe we'll make it into something separate. But, you know, we have to do this and, you know, try to help him somehow, and get his story out there.
Matthew Sherwood 29:38
And then he becomes one of the main threads of the film, right.
Mye Hoang 29:41
Yeah, he is, yeah, because, well, no spoilers, but, you know, their half of the movie, he's separated from his cat, and so, then it becomes about, you know, are they going to get to reunite; like, are things gonna turn out, okay. And then he also brought in another cat dad that we weren't expecting at all. So, he has, as you know, a friendship with a police officer who met him on the job, but then continued their friendship by visiting; visiting, like, every week or so. And these two guys just get together on a park bench, because they can't meet up anywhere else. And they just talk about their cats and share photos and trade stories. And they both just light up. It's something that they both look forward to. I'm sure that the cop doesn't really have other guy friends to, you know, share pictures of his cat with. And so...
Matthew Sherwood 30:47
I can't imagine that goes over that well at the station.
Mye Hoang 30:50
Yeah. Exactly! So, I mean, they have a really special friendship. And it's also funny because their cats look almost identical.
Matthew Sherwood 30:59
That's right.
Mye Hoang 31:00
So, I think that's also what really kept them together. But yeah, I mean, the two of them definitely become the heart of the movie, which is called Cat Daddies plural. And those two guys, they just - it just makes me so happy. And it's so inspiring to see them together and to see that another human being reached out to another human being, and, you know, is trying to help or at least trying to make his day better, as he's going through really, really challenging times. And it's all because of their love for cats.
Matthew Sherwood 31:38
Yeah. Yeah. And I think, no, it's a lovely - I mean, it's a very, a very compelling story that you tell of David on the streets of New York. So, as you say, it's more than just a film about cats. That's for sure...
Mye Hoang 31:56
And it was also very difficult to film all that during Covid, because he's very immunocompromised, right; so, it's difficult for us to figure out, you know, how to do this safely, how to keep him safe.
Matthew Sherwood 32:10
I was gonna say because we have had one film on here already that was all filmed during Covid in the hospitals, but you may be one of the only - one of a handful of people who actually got to film in hospitals during Covid. I mean, I thought - not to give too much away, but there is a scene, certainly, you know...
Mye Hoang 32:27
I was surprised, too. We were very lucky, but they would only let one person come in. And so, Rob had to really suit up; you know, wear a face mask. He was only allowed an hour. I wasn't even in New York at all. I had plans to go but then they required - you know, they suddenly added a quarantine - two week quarantine, and so, I - so, I was actually on the phone with them while they're in the hospital, while that interview, all that filming was going on. So, it was really do whatever it takes kind of mission to finish the movie! Because at that time, you also don't know, like, how long is the pandemic going to last? How long is David gonna be stuck in a hospital? Yeah, so it was a very - it was a very challenging, strange time. I hope I don't have to make a movie during that again!
Matthew Sherwood 33:31
I hope no one does. But yes, certainly. And you did your own editing, is that right? In terms of...
Mye Hoang 33:37
Actually, my husband, who’s a fabulous editor, was the main editor. And then I was also - it was mainly like me, building, you know, trying to build the scenes, trying to build the characters. And then he would come in and work his magic. He's just much more experienced than I. So, we worked on that together. And we were at home during the pandemic, working on this movie.
Matthew Sherwood 34:07
What else were you going to do?
Mye Hoang 34:09
Yeah, like, what else are you going to do?
Matthew Sherwood 34:11
Yeah. Well, well done. I mean, and then you've gotten it out to festivals and the circuit and it's done quite well. You've won Audience Choice awards and the like, so that must be extremely rewarding to have gone through all that and then to have that reaction.
Mye Hoang 34:29
Yes, I was really holding on to the movie, too. For in person, you know, premieres. So, and luckily, that happened, and I was able to actually travel to about 25 different cities so far. And meeting with audiences, and, you know, sharing the experience with them. So, I've been very lucky because I know a lot of filmmakers couldn't do that or there's, you know, their screenings were cancelled, or they went virtual, so... but it is such a different experience, yeah, with an audience. That was really important to me.
Matthew Sherwood 34:29
But after you're done with these - well, you're still carrying on with the screenings, and, I agree, it's something you should be seeing on a big screen. But I imagine someone's going to pick this up, aren't they, in terms of broadcasters, or...?
Mye Hoang 35:27
Yeah, I mean, I have distribution for digital in America. And, well, North America, and I do have other distributors here and there that are picking it up for their countries, or territories. So, slowly, it's getting out there. You know, it's not just like, one - you know, it's not just one company coming in and taking all our rights, it's gonna be piecemealed out. And so, over time, it'll get out there. I think we're looking at a North America digital release in the early New Year.
Matthew Sherwood 36:03
Okay.
Mye Hoang 36:04
In the meantime, yeah, I've been trying to roll it out, in person, working with a lot of cat rescues, doing events together, and having them come out to the theatrical run, and also, you know, fundraising for them, and just collaborating with groups and people. And it's just been, it's really just for fun. I mean, part of the reason why we made this was because it's such a fun subject matter. And so, I really want to put fun back into the events. Like, I know, it's a given that this will be online everywhere at some point. But it's like, until then, I want to make these special events, you know, like, in our New York and LA opening, we were passing out lightup cat ears for people to wear. And they just loved that. It was just so, it was just so fun. And then people were leaving the theatre walking around with these lightup cat ears. And, yeah, we're just trying to have fun with it.
Matthew Sherwood 37:13
I think that's great. I think sometimes we get away from that, don't we. It is about having fun. It should be an enjoyable experience. I mean, you say this is your first documentary. So, I mean, but you're hooked now, are you? Is this where you think, this is where your career is heading is more documentaries?
Mye Hoang 37:36
Oh, yeah. If I continue with this, it will probably be in the documentary world. Like I said, like, I think I watch more documentaries than narrative films now. At least I do streaming. Like, I'm also, like, I love true crime stuff. Like a lot of other people. I love nature docs. I love all kinds of - I love food documentaries. I mean, there's just so much. But yeah, I'm kind of interested in seeing if we can get cat documentaries elevated to the way that food documentaries are, right. There's so much content around food now. I think that a lot of that came up from - at least in my experience, I feel like it came from when Jiro Dreams of Sushi came out. It felt like after that came out, it's like, everybody was starting to make documentaries about food. Maybe, maybe not that will happen with cats. But I do have other ideas of cat related content. And then a lot of it's just like waiting to see what subject matter finds me as well. And I'm open to these things. You know, I'm not - I'm open to, like, what the universe brings, you know?!
Matthew Sherwood 38:56
So, do you have anything in particular next lined up? Or are you still enjoying Cat Daddies, and you'll come to that point in the next, you know, whenever in the next few years?
Mye Hoang 39:10
Yeah, I'm still enjoying it a lot. I just want to give Cat Daddies the best chance it has. And so, getting it out there. And then, yeah, I have some other ideas. And I'm trying to pursue them. But I kind of need bigger connections. So, you know, I'm just throwing some things out there. And seeing if I can make connections; like, I'm trying to do - like, I'm really curious about the Ernest Hemingway cats that live on his estate in Florida. Yeah, and they all have different names based on like, classic movie stars, like Fred Astaire and...
Matthew Sherwood 39:54
Gregory Peck or something, yeah.
Mye Hoang 39:56
Yeah, and they're polydactyl, so they have extra toes. I don't know, it's just so interesting to me that they have a staff on his estate, and they just - I just see something cinematic there. And again, like, I make movies - I'm into making movies that I want to see, because if I'm going to do this independently...
Matthew Sherwood 40:19
You might as well enjoy it, yeah.
Mye Hoang 40:21
Yeah. I have to enjoy it. It has to keep my attention because this is years out of my life. So - and the funny thing is like, I actually really love depressing movies and depressing documentaries, so doing this cat documentary is kind of a stretch, but..!
Matthew Sherwood 40:42
I don't know if you'd get that far with a depressing cat documentary, but maybe you're the one to do it.
Mye Hoang 40:48
Oh, no, I don't know if that'll happen! But, I don't know. I've been, like - I've also been contemplating like, you know, they do have dog documentaries on IMAX now. And I'm thinking like, wonder if that's the next frontier, is, like, cats on IMAX or cats in 3D. Again, I'm waiting for the universe to, like, kind of tell me what do next.
Matthew Sherwood 41:16
And from what I can gather, also, just being online myself, I think you've got an audience for whatever you do. So, I think you'll - I think you'll be fine. It's just about - and I'm sure that audience would love for you to have another go at another cat themed doc, that's for sure. So, thank you again, and I think - yeah, I think we're actually coming up on the end of our time. So, just wanted to thank you again, Mye, for being on Factual America Podcast. Been a joy talking with you. And just to remind our audience, we've been chatting with Mye Hoang, the producer and director of Cat Daddies, out on theatrical release. Check out the website, catdaddiesmovie.com. And for our listeners here in the UK, it is releasing very soon in the next few weeks, I think, sort of November, December time. So, Mye, thank you again, and when you've completed the next cat doc, we'd love to have you on again.
Mye Hoang 41:22
Great. Thank you so much.
Matthew Sherwood 42:25
All right, take care.
Matthew Sherwood 42:27
I also would like to thank those who helped make this podcast possible. A big shout out to Sam and Joe at Innersound Audio in York, England. Big thanks to Amy Ord, our podcast manager at Alamo Pictures, who ensures we continue getting great guests onto the show, and that everything otherwise runs smoothly. Finally, a big thanks to our listeners. Many of you have been with us for four incredible seasons. Please keep sending us feedback and episode ideas, whether it is on YouTube, social media, or directly by email. Please also remember to like us and share us with your friends and family, wherever you happen to listen or watch podcasts. This is Factual America, signing off.
Factual America Outro 43:09
You've been listening to Factual America. This podcast is produced by Alamo Pictures, specializing in documentaries, television, and shorts about the USA for international audiences. Head on down to the show notes for more information about today's episode, our guests, and the team behind the podcast. Subscribe to our mailing list or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @alamopictures. Be the first to hear about new productions, festivals showing our films, and to connect with our team. Our homepage is alamopictures.co.uk.