The 25^th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival is underway and on Saturday, locals will have the opportunity to weigh in on this year’s awards by helping select the Best Film and Best Actor.

Beginning at 7 p.m. on Oct. 1, the final 10 MANHATTAN SHORT finalists will be screened at the Strand Theatre, 717 Clay St.

The Strand is one of more than 400 venues across six continents that will be screening the top 10 films and handing out ballots for viewers to vote on their favorites.

Daniel Boone, who serves as the film programmer for the Strand, said this is the ninth year the screenings have been offered in Vicksburg.

“It’s one of our most popular programs every year,” Boone said. “Even when COVID had us closed down, we found a way to show MANHATTAN SHORT without reopening. It’s that popular.”

This year, Boone said, out of 870 submissions from 70 countries, the top 10 MANHATTAN SHORT hail from eight countries, with two each from France and the U.S.

The top 10 are:
“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) and “The Big Green” (France).

While each film differs in presentation, they all share a common thread in their theme, which focuses on how people deal with adversity.

“The Blanket,” “Freedom Swimmer” and “Freefall” explore how individuals react when caught up in large-scale, traumatic events. Adversity on a more personal level is the focus of short films like “Warsha,” “Fetish,” “The Big Green” and “Love, Dad.” For “Save the Bees,” “The Treatment” and “Don vs Lightning” laughter is used when responding to adversity.

It is said the MANHATTAN SHORT is the ultimate audience award that salutes the creative talents of both directors and actors.

At the conclusion of the screenings, votes will be collected and sent to the MANHATTAN SHORT headquarters. Winners will be announced on Monday, Oct. 3.

According to Boone, “In years past the Strand vote for Best Film mirrors the international vote, which we like to interpret as Vicksburg being cosmopolitan; however, there are clearly other interpretations.”

Tickets for the one-night-only screening of MANHATTAN SHORT at the Strand are $10 and are available at the Highway 61 Coffeehouse, 1101 Washington St., and at the door.

For more information on the films, visit https://www.manhattanshort.com/finalists.html.