Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival to Screen at the JAC
Manhattan Short 2023 Official Trailer
JAMESTOWN, RI – The global cinematic experience is back at the Jamestown Arts Center. Join with film enthusiasts from around the region for the screening of the 26th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival, which runs from September 29 to October 7.
Held simultaneously in more than 500 locations across six continents, the Manhattan Short Film Festival is a beloved tradition for cinephiles worldwide–and the JAC is the only location for the event in Rhode Island.
Lisa Utman Randall, Interim Executive Director of the JAC, expressed her enthusiasm for this unique cinematic experience, stating, “The JAC is excited to welcome Manhattan Short audiences back into the gallery for this annual event that transcends borders and brings the world’s best short films right here to Jamestown.”
The Jamestown Arts Center will host four screenings: Friday, September 29, Saturday, September 30, Friday, October 6 and Saturday, October 7, each at 7 pm. The same program of short films will run each date.
The ten short films in this year’s festival hail from seven countries including Australia, Afghanistan, Finland, Iran, Switzerland, UK and Canada and three films from the US. The films are: Sunless (USA), Voice Activated (Australia), Yellow (Afghanistan), Tuulikki (Finland), The Family Circus (USA), Career Day (USA), Snail (Iran), The Record (Switzerland), The Stupid Boy (UK), Soleil De Nuit (Canada).
Audience members are the judges in this global film-festival and JAC movie-goers will be given a ballot to cast their vote for Best Film and Best Actor Awards. Votes are sent back to Manhattan Short headquarters and winners will be announced in October.
To attend, purchase $10 tickets online at jamestownartcenter.org/events. Advance tickets purchased online are recommended as this event sells out.
About MANHATTAN SHORT:
MANHATTAN SHORT began in 1998, when founder Nicholas Mason gathered an audience of 200 people and showed 16 short films on a screen mounted to the side of a truck on Mulberry Street, Little Italy, New York City. From these humble beginnings, MANHATTAN SHORT has now transformed into a worldwide phenomenon. Celebrating its 25th birthday in 2022, MANHATTAN SHORT is the only film festival on the planet to unfold simultaneously in more than 500 locations across six continents.
If the 10 short films presented this year by MANHATTAN SHORT have one common theme, it’s how people deal with adversity in its various forms. Short films like The Blanket, Freedom Swimmer and Freefall 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, Fetish, The Big Green and Love, Dad. Sometimes, the response is laughable, as in Save the Bees and The Treatment, especially when even the universe seems to be against you, as in Don vs Lightning. How these stories are told is 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.
Cinema-goers across the United States and around 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 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.
About the Jamestown Arts Center:
The Jamestown Arts Center is a multi-disciplinary visual and performing arts space that hosts art exhibits, theatre, dance and musical performances, film screenings, and educational programming including artist talks and hands-on art classes for all ages. The JAC opened in 2010 in a former boat repair shop redesigned by award winning architects Estes/Twombly. Since 2014, it’s won six of Rhode Island Monthly’s ‘Best of Rhode Island’ awards, including the Editor’s Pick for Outdoor Art in 2021 and 2022.
The Jamestown Arts Center is a leading arts and cultural hub for Rhode Island and beyond, where creativity, ideas, and innovation flourish. For more information visit: jamestownartcenter.org
