Each year, the Manhattan Short Film Festival (MSFF) receives short films (up to 14 minutes long) from around the world and screens 12 finalists in front of audiences at approximately 150 venues across three continents. Screening audiences receive voting cards upon entry and then vote for their top pick. Each venue's results are sent electronically to the Manhattan Short headquarters in NYC and the winner is announced after the final screening in Union Square Park. Voting for this year's 12th Annual Festival will take place from September 22nd to 27th, 2009, and the winner will be announced at a live screening of the festival in New York's Union Square Park on September 27th at 9pm EST.

The Manhattan Short began in 1997 when Sydneyite and Festival Founder and Director Nicholas Mason projected a handful of independent short films on a screen mounted on the side of a truck in Manhattan's Little Italy. With community and municipal support, the Festival moved to Union Square Park the following year.

"In September 2001, the NYC Parks Commission asked us to go ahead with the Festival in Union Square Park, just ten days after the attacks. The park had become a shrine during this time and we set up around it and screened the twelve finalists. News crews from around the globe, who where covering NYC, picked up the story of the Festival, and, subsequently, in following years we received many more film entries from more countries, and in a way the films started to reflect what the world was feeling. The films became the catalyst to what it is today, and where it will be tomorrow," said Festival Director Nicholas Mason.

ONE WORLD -- ONE WEEK -- ONE FESTIVAL

date: Sat 26 Sep: The J Noosa 07 - 5455 4455 7pm bar, for 8pm start
age group: 15+ all minors need to be accompanied by a responsible adult
price: $14 / $12 incl. booking fee
bookings: Call the venues, online, or in person from the venues
genre: Films / International / Festival

09/09/09 Sydney filmmaker to represent Australia in 173 cities in 5 continents in the 12th annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival

"Plastic", a short film by Sydney Filmmaker Sandy Widyanata, will represent Australia this year in the 12th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival during the week of Sept. 20 to 27th. Widyanata is one of 10 semi - finalists whose work will be screened 532 times in 173 cities across five continents, exposing "Plastic" to a worldwide audience of over 100,000 people who will vote for the best short film in the Festival. "Plastic" was selected from among 428 entries received from 36 countries. The Festival winner will be announced in New York September 29th.

"Our goal is to unite the world via this Festival," said founding director Nicholas Mason. "It is just great exposure for Sandy, and I am sure all her friends and family are very excited for her." On the same day "Plastic" will be entertaining an audiences in theaters from Sydney to Fremantle, it also will be shown on screens in Beijing, Tel Aviv, Galway, Buenos Aires, 15 cities in Russia and all 50 states of the USA. "For a short filmmaker, there can be no greater test, and I am sure PLASTIC is up to the task," added Mason, a native son of Sydney, Australia.

date: Sat 26 Sep: The J Noosa 07 - 5455 4455 7pm bar, for 8pm start
age group: 15+ all minors need to be accompanied by a responsible adult
price: $14 / $12 incl. booking fee
bookings: online www.thej.com.au, 5455 4455 or in person from the venue

PLASTIC WILL SCREEN AND REPRESENT AUSTRALIA ACROSS FIVE CONTINENTS
DURING ONE WEEK IN SEPTEMBER
September 20 to September 27
________________________________________
USA 095 Venues 50 States 333 Screenings
Europe 055 Venues 19 Countries 148 Screenings
Asia 006 Venues 04 Countries 011 Screenings
Australia 009 Venues 06 States 010 Screenings
South America 001 Venues 01 Countries 005 Screenings
Central America 002 Venues 01 Countries 011 Screenings
Canada 002 Venues 02 Providences 011 Screenings
Middle East 002 Venues 01 Countries 002 Screenings

4 July 2009 Final Call for Entries

MANHATTAN SHORT is screaming for a Filmmaker to represent Australia!!!!

New York NY June 1st 2009: - Manhattan Short film festival has issued a final call for entries to Filmmakers in Australia wishing to represent Australia in the 12th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival. The Festival is taking place in over 200 cities spanning five continents, from September 20th to 27th, including a screening at the J in Noosa on Sat 26th September of this year.

Each year MANHATTAN SHORT selects twelve short films from around the world and distributes them across five continents. During the course of one week, cinema audiences at each venue are asked to vote for their favourite short film. Votes from each venue are tabulated and sent to MANHATTAN SHORT headquarters where the winner is announced after the last show in NYC on the last Sunday in September. This year marks the first time that all 50 states of the United States will be participating in the Festival.

Currently, there are 300 screenings in 83 cinemas in all 50 states across the U.S. already booked and 200 shows are predicted across Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. Festival organizers are expecting close to 100,000 people to view and vote on this years films.

"If short filmmaking is about getting your work seen and out there, then nothing compares to MANHATTAN SHORT", said Festival director Nicholas Mason. "We have fostered a worldwide community of film enthusiasts. Close to 100,000 people are coming out and coming together to watch short films in actual movie theatres, as opposed to staying home alone and watching online or on TV. From Perth to Noosa, from Moscow to Galway, from Buenos Aires to Beijing, from London to Paris the Manhattan Short audience will gather. Many feature films never get this kind of exposure. For a filmmaker to win over our global audience is the ultimate test," added Mason.

Films must be 18 minutes or under in length. Deadline for Entries is July 31st. Films must be in NYC on this day. For more information visit the Festival's website at www.ManhattanShort.com