The Manhattan Short Film Festival (www.ManhattanShort.com) today announced the twelve finalists set to screen across four continents between the 21st and the 28th of September. Film lovers in Massachusetts will have the opportunity view and vote on the next generation of filmmakers when the Festival screens at The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston on September 27th and The Coolidge Corner Cinema in Brookline September 19th through 25th and The Katherine Cornell Theatre in Martha's Vineyard on September 27th. This year's festival exceeded expectations with 429 entries from 42 countries. The resulting 12 films are set to screen 295 times in 115 cities in one week from as far north as Saint Petersburg, Russia to as far south as St. Kilda in Melbourne, Australia during the last week of September.

The best short film and winner of the 2008 Manhattan Short Film Festival will be determined by the global theater-going public. After each screening, audience members can vote for their favorite film. The votes will be tallied and sent directly to the Manhattan Short headquarters where the winner will be announced in New York City at 10 p.m. on Sunday, September 28, 2008.
In 2007 three of the finalists went on to screen at the Sundance Film Festival in which one won, another was later nominated for a BAFTA, while another went on to receive an Oscar Nomination. "We are expecting similar results if not better with this year's crop. The films are simply outstanding," said Festival Director Nicholas Mason


Film Lovers on Martha's Vineyard (for the fifth year running) - get the chance to see and vote on the next generation of filmmakers when the Manhattan Short Film Festival screens at Katharine Cornell Theatre. Presented by the MV Film Society, this program has always sold out and is hugely popular.

Finalists Announced: Ten Countries are represented in the twelve finalists:

Ripple (UK)
Mother, Mine (UK)
Ode Ober (The Netherlands)
Make My Day (Denmark)
Rachel (USA)
The Game (New Zealand)
Teat Beat of Sex (USA) - Signe Baumane recently presented her short at the MV International Film Festival
Change Coming (Australia)
Sour Milk (Israel)
Viva Sunita (India)
New Boy (Ireland)
Golden Thread (Spain)
Not-Rated (Adult themes)