Film lovers in Sedona will join film enthusiasts around the world to view and judge the work of the next generation of filmmakers when the 28th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival screens at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre, Sept. 26-Oct. 1, hosted by the Sedona International Film Festival.

Manhattan Short is the only event of its kind. The ten Finalists will screen simultaneously across the world during a one-week period, 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 short film is automatically Oscar-qualified.

The ten Manhattan Short finalists hail from eight countries with films from Spain, Irael, United Kingdom, Norway, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Mexico, alongside three films from the USA. "These ten short films bring a much-needed positive energy to the world!" says Nicholas Mason, founding director of Manhattan Short Film Festival.

The Manhattan Short final ten are:
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), Passarinho (Mexico).

Film synopsis are as follows:
EM & SELMA GO GRIFFIN HUNTING: A tale of mothers and daughters and the fantastical beasts they hunt. Love hurts.
AL FRESCO: Large space in a dream apartment. Unbeatable location. Ready to move in. Plenty of light.
CHASING THE PARTY: Seventeen-year-old suburbanites Melissa and Stephanie fantasize about becoming "IT" girls in the Lower East Side party scene circa 2007. Their dreams come crashing down when the photographer they idolize is the one to lift the veil.
PARADISE MAN: Paradise Man's obsession with golf is waylaid when his mother has an accident, causing him to look deeply within himself.
WE HAVE SINNED BEFORE YOU: A game designed to pass the time on Yom Kippur brings up secrets and difficulties that could tear the Dagan family apart.
I HAVE MY REASONS: Amanda is just 8 years old when a singular incident shapes the rest of her life.
OVARY-ACTING: Stuck at her sister's baby shower, Eva, a thirty-something woman, is forced to decide whether she wants to be a mother after unexpectedly giving birth to her reproductive organs, Ovy.
BEYOND SILENCE: Two women, two generations, one shared trauma. One has been silent for over thirty years, the other for 'only' a year and a half. Where one retreats further into silence after a confrontation, the other finds the courage to break it.
ZODIAK: Two old friends on a fishing trip encounter drifting refugees in distress at sea.
PASSARINHO: Two teenage girls try to meet their favorite soccer player but the plan is threatened when one of them gets her first period.

You Be the Judge!
Which of these final ten short films is best? That's up to a worldwide audience to decide. Cinema-goers across the United States and the globe will become instant film critics as they are handed a ballot upon entry that allows them to vote for the Best Film and Best Actor. Manhattan Short is the ultimate audience award that salutes the creative talents of both directors behind the camera and actors in front of it. Votes will be sent through to Manhattan Short HQ with the winner announced at ManhattanShort.com on Monday, Oct. 6.

The Manhattan Short Film Festival will be shown at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre Sept. 26-Oct. 1. Showtimes will be Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday, Sept. 26, 27, 28 and 30 at 3:30 p.m.; and Monday and Wednesday, Sept. 29 and Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $12, or $9 for Film Festival members. For tickets and more information, please call 928-282-1177. Both the theatre and film festival office are located at 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, in West Sedona. For more information and to order tickets online, visit www.SedonaFilmFestival.org .