The Palace Danbury to Host International Film Event

On Friday, September 30, a worldwide event will be taking place at The Palace Danbury Theatre. Ten short films, all under 18 minutes long, have been selected from submissions around the world, and will be judged by the viewers in Danbury and all other particpating theatres.

 The 13th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival has grown from it's humble beginnings 13 years ago, when a few films were shown on the side of a truck, to showing in theatres in 48 countries and 47 states throughout the United States. Past finalists were nominated and some even won the Oscar in the Short Film category causing the Manhattan Short Film Festival to become known as a breeding ground for important independent filmmakers.

 Nicholas Mason, who came to New York from Australia to become an actor, came up with the idea for an Olympics of short films. “The first year, 1998, we were going to put a screen up on Mulberry Street. Thugs broke the scaffolding, so we had to drive the truck down the street and play the films on the side of the truck. I had no idea then how extensive this would become.”

 The next year, Mason moved the festival to Union Square Park in downtown Manhattan. “We hit four screens at the same time. One night we took sixteen screens from one spot to another. At that time, we had Susan Sarandon, Eric Stolz, and Laura Linney as the judges. We wanted famous people because that's what film festivals have always done.”

 Not this year. This time the international public will judge the films, with more than 100,000 viewers around the world, including those at the Danbury Palace Theatre.

 The 10 short films were selected as finalists from 598 entries he received from around the world. Countries with films represented this year include Australia, Canada, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Hungry, Peru, Egypt, and two films from the USA.

 “Watching these films is like seeing the world through the culture they come from,” Mason said. “A lot of film makers, when they make a short film, its close to them. It's not like a big studio funded it, and it's not necessarily about that country. But it is colored by that country. It's somehow reflective of that country's drama. Remember in 2002 how scared the world was? If you watch 500 entries from 40 countries, you have a little more insight into how the world is feeling.”

 The audience will be provided with a voting card upon entry to the theatre, and they will vote for the one film they feel should win. Votes are tallied at each participating cinema and submitted to festival headquarters where the winner will be announced in New York City as well as posted on the net at www.ManhattanShort.com on Sunday, October 2nd at 10:00pm.

 “Communities have a nerve center, and it is often associated with the cinema. We are very excited it is going into universities, Univesity of Tampa, Willmington, North Caroline, Yale, and now the University of Arizona is doing it for the whole city.”

 One of the most important aspects of the festival, Mason said, is that it brings the world together for common purpose. “For us to have this event in Jordon, Cairo, Tel Aviv... if the world can't come together to judge ten short films, I would have to ask why.”

 In one week, people from as far north as St. Petersburg, Russia to as far south as Buenos Aires, Argentina, as far east as Kathmandu, Nepal and as far west as Perth, Australia will come together to view and vote on the films.

Manhattan Shorts is known in Russia as the Freedom of Speech festival. “The Russians were so fascinated with the United States, and they kept asking about all the states in the country, What is Massachusetts like? They just want to connect, their desire to connect with the same age group, in this country, you have to see it, it was very moving.”

 “Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that what started as a small, relatively simple event would grow into what it is today, with communities all over the world getting together to celebrate via ten short films. It's become like Earth Day - but with film.” adds Mason.

 To see previews of the upcoming films and for more information including detailed interviews with the 10 Finalists visit www.ManhattanShort.com or click on the links above.

The Manhattan Short Film Festival screens at The Palace Danbury Theatre in Danbury on Friday, September 30 at 7pm.  Visit www.thepalacedanbury.com for ticket information.