''Kitty'' is a 2016 American

short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

film directed and written by

Chloë Sevigny Chloë Stevens Sevigny (, born November 18, 1974) is an American actress, model, filmmaker and fashion designer. Known for her work in independent films, often appearing in controversial or experimental features, Sevigny is the recipient of se ...

, based on the short story of same name by

Paul Bowles Paul Frederic Bowles (; December 30, 1910November 18, 1999) was an American expatriate composer, author, and translator. He became associated with the Moroccan city of Tangier, where he settled in 1947 and lived for 52 years to the end of his ...

. The film stars

Ione Skye Ione Skye Lee ( ; Ione Skye Leitch; born September 4, 1970) is a British-born American actress and the daughter of singer Donovan. She made her film debut in the thriller ''River's Edge'' (1986) before gaining mainstream exposure for her starr ...

Lee Meriwether Lee Ann Meriwether (born May 27, 1935) is an American actress, former model, and the winner of the Miss America 1955 pageant. She has appeared in many films and television shows, notably as Betty Jones, the title character's secretary and daughte ...

, and Edie Yvonne. It was screened in the

International Critics' Week The International Critics' Week (french: Semaine de la Critique) was founded in 1962 and is organized by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics. It was created following the showing of '' The Connection'' directed by Shirley Clarke which had been ...

section at the

2016 Cannes Film Festival The 69th Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 May 2016. Australian director George Miller was the President of the Jury for the main competition. French actor Laurent Lafitte was the host for the opening and closing ceremonies. On 15 Marc ...

Plot

Kitty, a little girl, asks her mother why she is named Kitty. Her mother informs her her name is actually Catherine and that Kitty is a nickname. One day, looking in the mirror, Kitty notices she has grown whiskers. She points them out to her mother, but her mother ignores her. Kitty grows pointed ears and grey fur but none of the adults in her life seem to notice. Waking up one morning with talons Kitty goes downstairs and is mesmerized by some birds she sees. Fully transforming into a grey

tabby A tabby is any domestic cat (''Felis catus'') with a distinctive 'M'-shaped marking on its forehead; stripes by its eyes and across its cheeks, along its back, and around its legs and tail; and (differing by tabby type), characteristic striped, d ...

she chases the birds and then goes to visit her neighbour who feeds her milk. Returning home, she is locked out and sees her parents clutching her discarded nightgown, believing she has been kidnapped. Kitty as a cat continues to visit her parents every day hoping they recognize her, but is always locked out. One day she finds her mother in the garden and rubs against her legs and then jumps into her lap. Her mother calls her a pretty pussycat, and carries Kitty as a cat into the family home.

Cast

as Mother *

as Mrs. Tinsley * Edie Yvonne as Kitty

Production

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...

on the film began on January 8, 2016 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

in the suburb of

Van Nuys Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, t ...

. and concluded on January 12, 2016.

would be making her directorial debut, which would be produced by Lizzie Nastro and Christina Piovesan through First Generation Films. The crew would include cinematographer

Seamus McGarvey Seamus McGarvey, ASC, BSC (born 29 June 1967) is a cinematographer from Armagh, Northern Ireland. He lives in Tuscany, Italy. He has received two Academy Award nominations for his cinematography, on Joe Wright's 2007 drama ''Atonement'' and his ...

, costume designer Jennifer Johnson, production designer Chilly Nathan, and casting director Laray Mayfield.

Release

In January 2016,

Refinery29 Refinery29 (R29) is an American multinational digital media and entertainment website focused on young women. It is owned by Vice Media. History Justin Stefano, Philippe von Borries, Piera Gelardi, and Christene Barberich co-founded Refinery29 i ...

acquired distribution rights to the film as part of its new ShatterBox Anthology, a short-film series dedicated to emerging female filmmakers. The film had its world premiere at the

in the

section.

References

External links

* {{Paul Bowles Films about animals Films shot in California American short films 2016 directorial debut films Films about cats Films about shapeshifting Films based on short fiction Films shot in Los Angeles 2016 short films 2010s English-language films