South Hadley’s Tower Theaters strays away from traditional, feature-length content with special screenings of the Manhattan Short Film Festival finalists.
The Festival may have Manhattan in its name, but the event has clearly become a global attraction. The 15th annual Film Festival received 520 entries from 49 countries and only 10 shorts were selected for contention. The 10 films each hail from a different country, including The Netherlands, Norway and Peru.
The submission process does not mark the end of the worldwide inclusion of the Manhattan Short Film Festival. Along with screenings in all 50 states, the Festival runs in 300 cities across six continents. The short films will run 800 times.
150 cinemas in the United States will include the Manhattan Short Film Festival, up from 90 just last year. Founding Director Nicholas Mason believes this shows “how popular the event has become.” Mason believes “presenting these short films at these cinemas where so many movie-lovers attend is a great way to make the introduction to filmmakers who are about to make the transition into feature film-making.”
The best part of the Festival? The audience decides which of the 10 finalists will be declared best film. After each short plays, theater representatives will hand out voting cards. Viewers choose one film as the best, and the Manhattan Short’s Headquarters will tally up the votes and announce the winner (on-line) on Sunday October 7 at 10 p.m. In a media where special juries and boards typically determine victors, the Manhattan Short Film Festival approach provides a fresh change. Filmmakers produce films for the general public after all, not just for exclusive peers within the film community.
With so many dull blockbusters and pointless sequels released on a weekly basis, short films offer a welcomed alternative. The inability of a motion picture to hold the interest of its audience throughout the film’s entirety is a common complaint among moviegoers. Many spectators disapprove when movies present an intriguing premise, but fail to properly execute the premise in the feature-length film.
Filmmakers are often plagued by feature-length productions. In order to play in conventional theaters and to meet the demands of producers and studio heads, most films must run between 90 to 120 minutes. Some films require this amount of time to properly tell their story. Nobody faults “Lawrence of Arabia’s” for its length. However, other brilliant ideas are ruined by the need to stretch out a short narrative into a long one. This is the beauty of the short film.
Instead of pushing the boundaries of their tales, short filmmakers know their limits. Short films typically run for less than twenty minutes, and present a clear, concise approach to a thought-provoking issue. With such little time to tell their story, filmmakers value every precious moment they have. Short films typically showcase strong cinematography and editing, as shorter productions and footage allow the crew to make their work perfect.
The Manhattan Short Film Festival did not disappoint with their final selections. All 10 films engage the viewer, despite being from both different countries and genres. No language or cultural barriers prevent the films from connecting with the audience on a universal, human level. Three of the films, “A Curious Conjunction of Coincidences,” “The Unfortunate End of Robert Ebb” and “’92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card” each display their own unique sense of humor, but will all provide constant laughs nevertheless. “The Devil’s Ballroom” and “Where Does the Sea Flow” feature breathtaking cinematography while offering thoughts on jealousy and a mother’s responsibilities. The nine minute and 50 second run time of the final short, “Voice Over,” fills the audience with moments of tension, fear, desperation and ultimately, beauty. Most viewers would be pleased if just one of these emotions was evoked in a feature-length film.
The Tower Theaters plan on offering additional alternate content like the Manhattan short Film Festival to their lineup this fall. A concert series featuring rock, jazz and classical music is already scheduled from this October to December. The IFC Midnight series is also in consideration. The Tower Theaters already serves as an attractive alternative to a massive multiplex. The smaller venue, nostalgic interior and selective film options provide a more intimate experience for viewers. Special screening opportunities will only add to benefits of visiting the Tower Theaters.
The 10 finalists of the Manhattan Short Film Festival can be seen at the Tower Theaters on Sunday September 30 at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday October 2 at 9 p.m. and Thursday October 4 at both 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. Do not miss out on the wonderfully superb short films, or the opportunity to have your voice heard in which film takes home the top prize.
Kevin Romani can be reached at [email protected].
