Film enthusiasts in Vicksburg will once again join more than 100,000 film enthusiasts around the world when the 26th Annual “MANHATTAN SHORT” Film Festival screens at The Strand Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.

“This is a popular program at the Strand. It’s a great collection of shorts and in the past, the Vicksburg audiences seemed to really enjoy voting,” said proprietor Daniel Boone.

The Final 10 shorts screen simultaneously across the world during a one-week period, with the Best Film and Best Actor awards determined by ballots cast by the audiences in each participating venue.

The Final 10 “MANHATTAN SHORT” finalists hail from seven countries with films from Australia, Afghanistan, Finland, Iran, Switzerland, the UK and Canada alongside three films from the United States. These Final 10 films represent the best short films from among 850 submissions from 72 countries received by “MANHATTAN SHORT” for 2023, testimony to the enduring vibrancy and creativity of short films worldwide.

The MANHATTAN SHORT Final 10 are:

• “Sunless” (USA)
• “Voice Activated” (Australia)
• “Yellow” (Afghanistan)
• “Tuulikki” (Finland)
• “The Family Circus” (USA)
• “Career Day” (USA)
• “Snail” (Iran)
• “The Record” (Switzerland)
• “The Stupid Boy” (UK)
• “Soleil De Nuit” (Canada)

The 2023 line-up is linked by a common theme: how people face adversity, whether it is imposed by others or arises from personal circumstances.

The 10 short films in the program feature narratives that are dramatic, sometimes humorous, occasionally magical and always inspirational.

All Final 10 short films become Oscar-qualified, meaning they will be automatically eligible for an Academy Award nomination by screening for a week at the Arena CineLounge in Hollywood in the county of Los Angeles.

Which of the Final 10 short films is the best? That’s up to a worldwide audience to decide.

Cinema-goers across the United States and around the globe will become instant film critics as they are handed a ballot upon entry that allows them to vote for the Best Film and Actor. “MANHATTAN SHORT” is the ultimate audience award that salutes the creative talents of both directors behind the camera and actors in front of it.

Votes will be sent to “MANHATTAN SHORT” HQ with the winner announced at ManhattanShort.com on Monday, Oct. 9, at 10 a.m. EST.

Tickets for “MANHATTAN SHORT” are $10 and available in advance at Highway 61 Coffeehouse.