Film Lovers in Martha’s Vineyard can unite with an audience of over 100,000 Film Buffs in over 250 cities across 6 Continents during this week, when the 17th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival screens at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center.
MANHATTAN SHORT is not a touring Festival; rather, it is an instantaneous celebration that occurs simultaneously across the globe, bringing great films to great venues and allowing the audiences to select their favorites. If the Film Festival experience truly is about getting great works in front of as many eyes as possible, MANHATTAN SHORT offers the ultimate platform — one that sees its films screened in Sydney, Mumbai, Moscow, Kathmandu, Vienna, Cape Town to cinemas in all fifty states of the United States and beyond.
Ten short films selected from over 500 entries around the world will screen across the world during the week of Friday, September 25th through to Sunday, October 4th. Audiences at each venue are handed a voting card and asked to vote for the one film they think is best. Votes are sent through to MANHATTAN SHORT HQ and the winner is announced on Sunday, October 7th. With finalists from this Festival’s 17 year history going on to be nominated and even win the Oscar in the short film category, MANHATTAN SHORT is a wonderful opportunity to see the next generation of feature filmmakers from around the world.
FULL LIST OF FINALIST BELOW (126 min):
1. LISTEN (12 min), Finland/Denmark – Directed by Hamy Ramezan & Rungano Nyoni
Copenhagen. A police station. A foreign woman, wearing a burqa, is there with her young son to file a complaint. Yet, it seems the translator is not willing to report what she is telling.
2. DAD IN MUM (6 min), France – Directed by Fabrice Bracq
The middle of the night. Moans are heard behind the parents’ door. Two young sisters are asking questions…
3. BEAR STORY (10 min), Chile – Directed by Gabriel Osorio
In this animated tale, a bear uses mechanical figures to relate the story of his oppressed life to one cub at a time.
4. FOREVER OVER (13 min), Germany – Directed by Erik Schmitt
A young couple devise a wish list to spice up their lives but its fulfillment leads to unforeseen consequences.
5. SHOK (21 min), Kosovo/UK – Directed by Jamie Donoughue
The friendship of two boys is tested to its limits as they battle for survival during the Kosovo war…
6. GROUNDED (19 min), France – Directed by Alexis Mikhalik
An airline ticketing agent rises to the occasion when faced with an extraordinary situation posed by a pair of passengers.
7. SUNDOWN (15 min), Turkey – Directed by Sinem Cezayirli
A woman’s tranquil day at the beach turns tumultuous when she is forced to confront a sudden, new reality concerning her mother.
8. PATCH (3 min), Switzerland/Germany – Directed by Gerd Gockell
Tiles on a wall reveal the elephant in the room, among other things, in this fast-paced animation that plays with perspective and abstractions.
9. EL CAMINO SOLO (12 min), USA – Directed by Shawn Telford
A modern businessman strands himself on a desert highway only to be saved by rescuers who are more in touch with humanity than he is.
10. BIS GLEICH (15 min), Germany – Directed by Benjamin Wolff
Two senior citizens view Berlin city life from their respective windows on opposite sides of the street and develop an unusual bond.
