MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival to Present Ten International Short Films

The Public Theatre in Lewiston will present the 29th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival this Friday and Saturday, with screenings on September 25 at 7:00 pm and September 26 at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Tickets are available at the door, with films starting at 7:00 pm and no preview roll. General admission is $15.

For the first time in its history, MANHATTAN SHORT has selected ten films from ten countries, with entries from the USA, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Moldova, Russia, Cuba, Georgia and Mexico making up MANHATTAN SHORT 2026.

'Since 9/11 my vision for this Festival has been to create a filmic Olympiad. An event consisting of ten quality shorts from ten separate countries that joins the world, and finally in 2026 we've managed to do that. I'm very excited for the reaction it receives from our worldwide audiences,' says Nicholas Mason, founding director of MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival.

What makes the Manhattan Short Film Festival so special is the diversity of the films from around the world, and the fact that the audience determines the winners. Every person watching the festival will get a ballot to determine the Best Film and Best Actor awards, giving audience members the chance to play 'film critic.'

All finalists become Oscar-qualified, meaning they will be automatically eligible for an Academy Award. In 2024, four Manhattan Short selections were short-listed. Two of those films were nominated for an Oscar, including the ultimate winner for Best Live Action short I'm Not a Robot.

For more information about the festival, visit www.manhattanshort.com.

MANHATTAN SHORT 2026 Finalists

Small Talk (USA)

Mary is Missing (Ireland)

Candy Bar (Australia)

Vultures (South Africa)

Life Goes On (United Kingdom)

Hai Davai (Moldova)

Pickup (Russia)

Norheimsund (Cuba)

When the Sea was Calm (Georgia)