For the first time Blue Mountains local film lovers will be part of the world’s first global film festival when Blue Mountains Theatre hosts the 25th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival on Thursday 22 September.
Program Leader at Blue Mountains Theatre and Community Hub, Ms Louise Hales says the Film Festival will take place over 10 days in over 500 venues world-wide.
“The Blue Mountains Theatre is excited to bring this unique short film festival to local audiences. Patrons will be joining film lovers across six continents to vote for their favourite short film by some of the most creative, emerging film makers in the world right now.”
From 870 submissions and 70 countries, ten finalists were announced last week including one Australian film and others from Scotland, Czech & Slovakia, Spain, Finland and Lebanon, alongside two films each from France and USA.
All of the 10 short films have one common theme - how people deal with adversity in its various forms.
Short films like The Blanket (Finland), Freedom Swimmer (Australia) and Freefall (France) explore how individuals react when caught up in large-scale, traumatic events. Adversity on a more personal level is the focus of short films like Warsha (Lebanon), Fetish (USA), The Big Green (France) and Love, Dad (Czech & Slovakia). Sometimes, the response is laughable, as in Save the Bees (USA) and The Treatment (Spain), especially even when the universe seems to be against you, as in Don vs Lightning (Scotland).
How these stories are told is as varied as the directors that tell them. In short, there is plenty of drama and comedy interwoven with surprisingly effective newer ways of storytelling, like animated documentaries.
MANHATTAN SHORT is a showcase for rising-star actors as well as recognisable favourites like actor and singer, Peyton List, and accomplished Scottish actor/director, Peter Mullan, appearing in unexpected, talent-stretching roles.
Every short film selected as a finalist will automatically qualify for the Oscars 2023, screening for one week at the Arena CineLounge in Hollywood.
The Blanket (Finland)
