Join us September 24-October 3, when film lovers across the United States and around the globe become instant film critics by voting in the 24th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival! This year’s ten finalists (shown at every screening) are viewed simultaneously across the world, 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 finalist will be qualified for the Academy Awards.
The final ten Manhattan Short finalists hail from eight countries with films from U.K., Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, Norway, Italy and Canada, alongside two films each from France and USA. These Final Ten selections represent the best short films from among 970 submissions from 70 countries received by Manhattan Short for 2021, a testament to the enduring vibrancy and creativity of short films worldwide.
The Manhattan Short Film Festival continues to be a showcase for new voices and perspectives. Death By Handshake director Hudson Flynn, for example, was just 16 years old when he created his wry nod to New York City living during the Covid-19 pandemic. Humor also pervades films like Rough from Northern Ireland, France’s Archibald’s Syndrome and Monsieur Cachemire of Canada. Out of Time and the animated Aurora are close studies by a pair of women directors of life at different stages of our existence from French and American perspectives. Short films tackling big topics include Norway’s The Kicksled Choir, which offers a refreshing look at conflict resolution, while Bad Omen examines how a woman copes with stark circumstances in Afghanistan. Closed To The Light reaches back in time to focus on a riveting moment in World War II Italy while the UK’s Ganef examines that war’s trickle-down effect on subsequent generations.
2021 Finalists:
Archibald’s Syndrome (Daniel Perez, France);
Aurora (Jo Meuris, USA);
Bad Omen (Salar Pashtoonyar, Afghanistan);
Closed to the Light (Nicola Piovesan, Italy);
Death By Handshake (Hudson Flynn, USA);
Ganef (Mark Rosenblatt, UK);
The Kicksled Choir (Torfinn Iversen, Norway);
Monsieur Cachemire (Iouri Philippe Paillé, Canada);
Out of Time (Delphine Montaigne, France);
Rough (Adam Patterson & Declan Lawn, Northern Ireland)
