PENDLETON — A global film festival is coming to town Friday as Pendleton Community Public Library screens the 10 finalists in the 22nd annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival.
“We are one of eight libraries in Indiana to host the festival, and we’re excited to try something new,” said Kristen Case, adult programming and outreach specialist.
The festival takes place in more than 400 venues across six continents between today, Sept. 26, and Oct. 6.
The Final Ten MANHATTAN SHORT finalists represent seven countries: France, Iran, Canada, Germany and Finland, USA (two finalists) and United Kingdom (three finalists).
According to festival organizers, the Final Ten represent the best short films among 1,250 submissions from 70 countries received by MANHATTAN SHORT for 2019.
By virtue of their selection by MANHATTAN SHORT, each short film is Oscar-qualified, meaning they are eligible for Academy Award nomination.
Audiences at each venue during the screening week will cast ballots for Best Film and Best Actor. Votes will be tallied and sent through to MANHATTAN SHORT headquarters. The overall winner will be announced Monday, Oct. 7.
This year’s Final Ten represent a range of film genres that includes drama, suspense and comedy, as well as a pair of science fiction films and one that focuses on tennis (See box for short description of the films).
Run time for the screening is 2 horus and 36 minutes.
The screening in Pendleton will take place in the community room, with attendees entering at the door on the east end of the building.
People are welcome to bring cushions or mats to make seating comfortable.
The library has obtained a one-day alcohol permit for the screening. Two drinks per person will be provided free of charge. Non-aloholic beverages and snacks will also be provided.
Registration is required (ages 21 and older only).
To register, visit pendleton.lib.in.us/adults/adult-programs or call 765-778-7527. Seating is limited.
For more about the film festival, visit ManhattanShort.com.
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A Family Affair
Directed by: Florence Keith-Roach
Country: United Kingdom
Time: 13:08
Synopsis: When Annabelle wakes up alone in a stranger’s bedroom on her 30th birthday, she thinks the day cannot get any worse. But then Bernard walks in and he is not the man of her dreams.
At The End Of The World
Directed by: Fon Davis
Country: USA
Time: 13:08
Synopsis: In an apocalyptic future, a lonely government worker finds solace with a soldier during the last World War. But their future together is threatened when the soldier is sent back into battle.
Debris
Directed by: Julio Ramos
Country: USA
Time: 14:00
Synopsis: After a disastrous event on his construction site, Armando acts quickly to save his crew, but instead stumbles upon an unspeakable truth. Debris is an intense and visceral glimpse of the grim world of human labor trafficking.
Driving Lessons
Directed by: Marziyeh Riahi
Country: Iran
Time: 12:48
Synopsis: Local laws say Bahareh’s husband must accompany her to driving lessons so she and her instructor will not be alone, a task made more complicated when the two men don’t get along.
Malou
Directed by: Adi Wojaczek
Country: Germany
Time: 14:00
Synopsis: Rejected by a famed dance school, Malou gets a chance to prove that she’s destined for a career as a dancer despite the odds seemingly stacked against her.
Nefta Football Club
Directed by: Yves Piat
Country: France
Time: 17:00
Synopsis: In Tunisia, two football-loving, young brothers find a donkey lost in the middle of the desert on the border with Algeria. But why is the animal wearing headphones over its ears?
Sylvia
Directed by: Richard Prendergast
Country: United Kingdom
Time: 16:53
Synopsis: Our love affair with the automobile means that a car can feel like it is part of the family. Sometimes it’s more than that.
The Match
Directed by: Pia Andell
Country: Finland
Time: 15:38
Synopsis: Two middle-aged women turn a friendly game of tennis into an intense competition but stand united at the end of the match when they discover one thing in common.
This Time Away
Directed by: Magali Barbe
Country: United Kingdom
Time: 14:00
Synopsis: An elderly man lives as a recluse, haunted by his past and memory of the family he once had, until a non-human visitor arrives and disrupts his isolation.
Tipped
Directed by: Alysse Leite-Rogers
Country: Canada
Time: 13:48
Synopsis: A waitress at an upscale restaurant reaches her tipping point with a table of difficult customers and concocts a special dish of revenge.
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