A film festival from the Big Apple, with short films from across the globe, is coming to Glen Street Theatre this October.
Celebrating its 25th birthday in 2022, Manhattan Short Film Festival will be screening at Glen Street Theatre in Belrose on 2 October.
Manhattan Short is the only film festival on the planet to unfold simultaneously, in close to 500 cinemas on six continents, bringing over 100,000 film-lovers in all corners of the globe together for one week.
Founding Director, Nick Mason began the festival in 1998 where he 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. A year later the festival moved uptown to Union Square Park NYC, where audiences grew to love the annual event. From these humble beginnings, Manhattan Short has now transformed into a worldwide phenomenon.
Although Nick lives in New York, he grew up in Sydney and fondly remembers visiting the Glen Street Theatre as a young boy.
“I grew up in St Ives, just around the corner from Glen Street Theatre and it is impossible for me to put this event on each year, and not think fondly of Glen Street and of my mother sitting in the audience each year. Even though I am based in New York City, Glen Street is my community theatre and always will be. It is in my heart,” Mr Mason said.
“Our festival is about bringing communities together at venues that operate as cultural nerve centres. It is those venues that make this event work as they draw the community together.”
Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan said Council welcomed the opportunity to be the only host venue in Sydney for this global film festival.
“We are proud to host the Manhattan Short Film Festival and bring some incredible short films from across the globe to our very own Glen Street Theatre,” Mayor Regan said.
“We are excited to join 500 other venues across the globe to screen short films from some of the very best up and coming filmmakers from eight different countries.”
Upping the excitement around the screening is the invitation to audience-goers around the globe to become instant film critics as they are given the power to vote for their favourite film and actor on the day. Sydneysiders can catch the ten shortlisted films on October 2nd at Glen Street Theatre.
The 10 finalists hail from eight countries with films from Scotland, Czech & Slovakia, Spain, Australia, Finland and Lebanon, alongside two films each from France and USA. These films represent the best short films from 870 submissions from 70 countries received by Manhattan Short for 2022 – a testimony to the enduring vibrancy and creativity of short films worldwide.
The 2022 shortlist:
Don vs Lightning (Scotland), Love, Dad (Czech & Slovakia), Save the Bees (USA), The Treatment (Spain), Freefall (France), Fetish (USA), Freedom Swimmer (Australia), The Blanket (Finland), Warsha (Lebanon), The Big Green (France).
Tickets for Manhattan Short are available from www.glenstreet.com.au or call Box Office on 9470 5913.
Tickets* Members $25, All tickets $30, Groups (10+) $27
*Transaction fees apply for non-members.
Show times
Sunday 2 October 1pm & 5pm
Created by Nicholas Mason
