A Christmas Gift from Bob - the Sequel of the Film Screened in Open Screening - to be Released on August 6

A Christmas Gift from Bob, the sequel to the film A Street Cat Named Bob, which was screened by the Opening Screening of the 24th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), is to be released nationwide on August 6. The film, directed by Charles Martin Smith and starred Luke Treadaway, tells a story happened in the last festival that the street singer James spent on the street together with the stray cat Bob, who has accompanied him in his hardest time.

On the latest poster of A Christmas Gift from Bob, the ginger kitten Bob wears a Christmas hat and a scarf in red and white. As always, he stands on James’ shoulders as his “most solid backing”, and in whirling snow, James is carrying his red guitar, which starts to show the traces of time upon it, indicating the tough time the hero is about to undergo. The film shares the same inspirational theme and the touching vibe between man and pet with the previous work. It tells an episode in the memoirs of the hero James, a story between a man, a kitten and a guitar, revealing the true and simple emotions through a style that is both warm and heartrending.

The previous work A Street Cat Named Bob is adapted from the novel of the same name, based on the life experience of the author James Bowen. James Bowen’s parents got divorced when he was a child, and he then strayed on the street for 10 years and became addicted to drugs. Living in distress and trying to get rid of drugs, he ran into the street cat Bob, who accompanied him and helped him get off drugs and changed his destiny. These stories were told in a novel published by James, which has been translated into more than 30 languages and sold over tens of millions of copies worldwide. The film also set off a “kitten keeping trend” when it was screened in British theaters. The film was premiered in China during the 20th SIFF in 2017, and then met the general public in the Open Screening at SIFF this year. SIFF has launched the Open Screening since 2018, to share fine films at home and abroad with audience. The Open Screening of the 24th SIFF was held in seven screening locations in Shanghai. And a total of 27 films including A Street Cat Named Bob were put on the screen within 10 days in more than 60 sessions.

It is worth mentioning that the “player” who “acted” the street cat Bob in these two films is the street cat itself, but unfortunately, it died in a car accident in June 2020. The film A Christmas Gift from Bob has thus become its “last gift” for fans. There is a plot in the film: a cute little boy from China gave Bob a red panda scarf in the cold wind, indicating the sincere goodwill from China through a child as well as the warmth of universal love of mankind in Bob’s last work eternally.

James, with Bob by his side, seems to have the courage to overcome all odds, face up bravely any blow, and move forward ever and ever. This companionship in the film is the light in James’ life, and at the same time moves and brings strength to the audience.