OFFICIAL SELECTION
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Britain's Big Cat Mystery
DIRECTED BY
Matthew Everett
Synopsis:
"‘Britain’s Big Cat Mystery is the world’s first and only feature-length documentary exploring the unusual
phenomenon of the United Kingdom’s population of mysterious large cats, which are alleged to be prowling the wilderness and countryside of rural Britain.
Britain has a long, colourful and complicated history of having a diverse exotic pet trade; from the days of the old British Empire, until the mid-20th century, it was deemed an indicator and symbol of status, wealth and fashion to own exotic pets, (especially big cats). Incidents and reports spiralled out of control in the 1960s; and with the later introduction of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act in 1976, the situation only intensified, as some exotic cat owners who were unable to afford the new licences required to legally retain their pets, set about deliberately releasing their privately owned big cats in preference of having them terminated. Reports and sightings of big cats in Britain continue to this day.
This film adds substance to folklore and myth to establish the historic and scientific facts; and now, after years of tireless and extensive research, the story of ‘Britain’s Big Cat Mystery’ can finally be told with more clarity, detail and substantiated fact than has ever been possible before. Join the team, as they review newly uncovered and previously lost evidence, including long-forgotten archive footage, as well as exclusive new interviews with key witnesses to the seminal events in the history of the mysterious big cats of Britain, who until now have been unwilling to talk on camera..."
DURATION
01:45:00
COUNTRY
United Kingdom
COMPLETION DATE
2020-10-02
CATEGORY
Feature / Documentary