Public Theatre to Host 28th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival

The Public Theatre will host the 28th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival on September 26 at 7:00 pm and September 27 at 3:00 and 7:00 pm.

This year’s MANHATTAN SHORT films hail from seven countries with films from Spain, Israel, United Kingdom, Norway, The Netherlands, Belgium, Mexico, and USA. This year’s Final Ten Films represent the best short films from hundreds of submissions from scores of countries received by MANHATTAN SHORT for 2025, a testimony to the enduring vibrancy and creativity of short films worldwide. This year’s finalists include Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting (USA), Al Fresco (Spain), Chasing the Party(USA), Paradise Man (USA), We Have Sinned Before You (Israel), I Have My Reasons (United Kingdom), Ovary-Acting (Norway), Beyond Silence (The Netherlands), Zodiak (Belgium), and Passarinho (Mexico).

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 this global film festival will get a ballot to determine the Best Film and Best Actor awards, so this is your chance to play “film critic!”

All Finalists become Oscar-qualified, meaning they will be automatically eligible for an Academy Award nomination by screening for a week at The New Parkway Theater in Oakland, CA. 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.  Manhattan Short continues to be an early showcase for Oscar contenders.