10 film finalists from eight counties
up for audience judging, Sept. 23, 24

LEWISTON — For one weekend only, filmgoers in Lewiston will unite with audiences in over 250 cities spanning six continents to view and judge the work of the next generation of filmmakers from around the world when the 19th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival screens at The Public Theatre in Lewiston on Friday and Saturday,  Sept. 23 and 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.thepublictheatre.org or by calling 782-3200.  Tickets are $8 for adults and students.

Manhattan Short audiences know a good short when they see one. Two of the top vote-getters from last year’s festival, “Shok,” (Kosovo) and “Bear Story,” Chile, became oscar nominees, with the latter winning the famous statue in the best animated short category. 

The 10 Manhattan Short  finalists for 2016 hail from eight countries, with France and Australia represented by two films each. These final 10 short films represent the best among a record 844 submissions from 52 countries. In addition, for the first time, all of the final 10 short films are Oscar-qualified, meaning they are automatically eligible for an Academy Award nomination.

 Which of these 10 short films is the best? That’s up to you and 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. Votes are tallied at each participating cinema and submitted to festival headquarters where the winner will be posted on www.ManhattanShort.com on Monday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m.

 This year’s crop of 10 short films is an exciting assortment. Two short films, “Kaputt” and “I Am a Pencil,” are animations. Other entries run the gamut from comedy to drama to horror to science fiction. Film fans also will see well-known actors like Ewen Bremner (Carousel) of “Trainspotting” and “Pearl Harbor” fame as well as a number of young actors who will be the stars of tomorrow–with Ewen Bremner’s daughter, Harmony Rose Bremner, among them. Will father and daughter split the vote for Best Actor? The audience decides and hopefully, there will be no trouble in the Bremner household once the ballots are cast.

 For more information on the festival and to read detailed interviews with the 10 finalists visit www.ManhattanShort.com or click on the following links:

The Final 10 films are: 
“The Tunnel” (Norway); “Carousel” (England); “Kaputt” (Germany); “Ella Got a Promotion?” (U.S.); “Hold On” (The Netherlands); “Bravoman”  (Russia); “Overtime (Australia), “Gorilla” (France);  “I Am A Pencil”  (Australia); “The Last Journey of the Enigmatic Paul WR”  (France).