Pablo Valencia’s debut feature film, Chatty Catties, is a laugh-out-loud comedy set in an alternate world in which cats are able to communicate with humans. Sassy tabby Leonard (voiced by deaf actor John Autry II) is at odds with his human roommate, Shelby (Megan Hensley), whose own emotional problems limit her abilities to provide for the most basic of Leonard’s needs. But, when Shelby begins a relationship with kind-hearted musician, Nate (Matthew Grathwol), Leonard sees a brighter future for both him and his owner, but it won’t come without a few emotional fireworks along the way.

The film is also special in that it provides unique roles for deaf and hard of hearing actors, including John Autry II, the star and voice of Leonard the Cat.

“I wanted the cats to sound different from the humans and I wanted a way to communicate the film’s themes. Casting deaf and hard-of-hearing actors allowed me to do that; it also gave these actors an opportunity to play the kinds of roles that they are not normally offered, roles in which their hearing loss is not part of the plot. Learning about deaf culture and working with these actors was truly a rewarding experience.

This is a film filled with cats, though it isn’t necessarily about them. It’s really a film about communication and agency. It’s a story about not losing one’s self while being held prisoner. It’s a series of glimpses into another world, a world that reflects our own. It’s a story about hope, hidden behind tabby stripes.” – Pablo Valencia

“A film that — with an enormous amount of risk-taking — innovatively expands stylistic and narrative boundaries. With a fresh view on intimate relationships, director Pablo Valencia creates an unexpected and utterly original emotional landscape.” – FIPRESCI jury prize statement, Seattle Int’l Film Festival

“It’s as much a take on the inherent dysfunction of human-to-human relationships as it is about talking cats, but director Pablo Valencia nonetheless gets a huge amount of comic mileage out of his high-concept setup. The voice artists–especially John Autry II as lead cat Leonard–sport terrific comic timing, and there’s a surplus of genuinely funny dialogue. I haven’t laughed this hard at a movie in a long time.” – Tony Kay, The Sun Break