Walton Theatre To Participate in International Film Judging

Filmgoers in Walton, New York will unite with audiences in over 400 cities
spanning six continents to view and judge the work of the next generation of
filmmakers from around the world when the 22nd Annual MANHATTAN
SHORT Film Festival screens at the Walton Theatre on September 26 at
2pm & 7pm and on September 28 at 8pm.

MANHATTAN SHORT is the only event of its kind. The Final Ten screen
simultaneously across the world during a one-week period, with the Best
Film and Best Actor awards determined by ballots cast by the audiences in
each participating venue. By virtue of their selection by MANHATTAN
SHORT, each short film is automatically Oscar-qualified.

The Final Ten MANHATTAN SHORT finalists hail from seven countries with
films from France, Iran, Canada, Finland, and Germany alongside two films
from USA and a record three from the United Kingdom. These Final Ten films
represent the best short films from among 1,250 submissions from 70
countries received by MANHATTAN SHORT for 2019, testimony to the
enduring vibrancy and creativity of short films worldwide.

MANHATTAN SHORT continues to be a premier showcase for female
directors with five of the Final Ten films directed by women, including one
from Iran. This year’s Final Ten represent an extraordinary range of film
genres that includes intimate dramas, spine-tingling suspense, and hilarious
comedies, as well as genre surprises like a pair of science fiction films and one that focuses on tennis. “A narrative short film on sports is as rare as a centaur sighting,” notes Pia Andell, director of The Match​.

The MANHATTAN SHORT Final Ten are:

Nefta Football Club ​(France), Debris ​(USA), Driving Lessons ​(Iran),
Tipped ​(Canada), Sylvia ​(UK), The Match ​(Finland), This Time Away
(UK), Malou ​(Germany), A Family Affair ​(UK) At The End of the World
(USA).

All Final Ten short films become Oscar-qualified, meaning they will be
automatically eligible for an Academy Award nomination by screening for a
week at the Los Feliz 3 Cinemas in the county of Los Angeles in Hollywood
from Sept 20 to Sept 26.

You Be the Judge! Which of these Final Ten short films is the best? That's
up to a worldwide audience to decide. Cinema-goers across the United States
and around the globe will become instant film critics as they are handed a
ballot upon entry that allows them to vote for the Best Film and Best Actor.
MANHATTAN SHORT is the ultimate audience award that salutes the creative
talents of both directors behind the camera and actors in front of it. Votes will
be sent through to MANHATTAN SHORT HQ with the winner announced at
ManhattanShort.com on Monday Oct 7, at 10AM EST.

MANHATTAN SHORT's international appeal is among its biggest attributes. “I
started the MANHATTAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 22years ago when I
mounted a screen to the side of a truck in Mulberry Street in Little Italy in New
York City to a crowd of just over 200 people. This year, there will be over
100,000 film lovers gathered in over 400 venues across six continents for the
same event. Looking back, what fascinates me most is the MANHATTAN
SHORT was never once reliant on celebrities or corporate branding to exist.
Manhattan Short is a “no logo” experience: it always has been about great
films, a great concept, great venues and an appreciative audience. It is that
combination that makes MANHATTAN SHORT one of the largest short film
festivals in the world today. I’m so proud to be part of it because it is the
public who have created it.”-- ​Founding Director Nicholas Mason.