Betty loves animals, she loves them so much that every day she puts 30 bowls of food outside of her home to feed them. James P. Gannon directs “Betty Feeds The Animals,” a cozy portrait about an eccentric older lady “caring for something that no ones cares for.” The Super 8mm documentary profile runs us through Betty’s daily operation - preparing large amounts of food, placing in individual bowls, scattering throughout the yard, then cleaning up, and starting all over again. The fact that she has no sense of smell may contribute to her willingness to feed local skunks, raccoons, possums, not to mention the cats that started it all, but nonetheless her heart is pure with intention. And she’s not dissuaded by rude notes from neighbors, or questions about the natural order of the food chain. As with his other recent documentary short, “The Christmas Light Killer” (2018), Gannon allows his subjects to speak for themselves; both films are oddly charming glimpses into unorthodox lives. Gannon’s 2009 short, “Cochran,” was an early classic on NoBudge when we first launched in 2011. -KA.

Directed by James P. Gannon. Starring Elizabeth Gannon. DP: James P. Gannon. Editor: Sam Goetz. Producer: Pocket Storms Productions. Sound Editor: Dan Dzula. Original Music/Composer: Stephane Laporte.