D.C. film lovers have the opportunity to view and judge the next generation of filmmakers in the 10th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival tonight at the Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse.
Arlington is one of the 98 cities spanning three countries that will host this monumental festival, which features films from the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Kenya, Israel, Spain, Singapore and Germany.
"To me, this event represents a form of peace, a collaborative film cinema that joins all human kind in one goal to view a film and vote on its content," said Nicholas Mason, the executive director and founder of the Manhattan Short Film Festival.
The Manhattan Short Film Festival selected 12 finalist films, all 12 minutes and under in length, out of a cinematic pool of 465 entries from 33 countries around the world.
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Interested? Here are some of tonight's shorts.
"Lines" Directed by Sonja Jasansky UCLA student Sonja Jasansky was assigned to create a single scene from a movie. She wasn't happy with the assignment, so she created an entire short film about a rebellious high school student. The student is forced to write on the blackboard as punishment for misbehavior but decides that she won't stand for the humiliation. "A lot of students were slightly angry with me as I took this scene study to 'another level,'" Jasansky said in an interview posted on the Manhattan Short Film Festival's Web site. "But a lot of students were pleased and encourage me to send it to festivals." "I Met The Walrus" Directed by Josh Raskin In 1969, a 14-year-old boy interviewed John Lennon and Yoko Ono during their Bed in for Peace. That boy, who is now a 53-year-old lawyer living in Toronto, asked Raskin to turn his interview into a feature film. Raskin compromised and transformed the 30-minute interview into a five-minute animated short. "The most important thing to take away from [this short film] is that the feeling of powerlessness is the most destructive thing of all," Raskin said in an interview posted on the Manhattan Short Film Festival's Web site. "There is really no excuse for blowing the shit out of another person or group. ... And I think what John's talking about is simply put: If you don't fuck people over, we'll be all right." -STEPHEN TRINGALI |
"I came up with the idea of having short films being viewed all over the world, but not just any short films," he said. "These short films had to tell a historical human story about what was happening in the different parts of the world. I wanted a platform for people to be able to speak and unite as people. These films would not only entertain the public, but they would be able to vote on which one should win."
Those who visit the Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse tonight will be handed a voting card and asked to pick the one film they believe should win. The winning short film will be announced at Union Square Park in New York City on Sunday.
Past finalists have been nominated for - and even won - the Oscar in the short film category, thus placing the Manhattan Short Film Festival squarely on the pulse of future cinematic talent.
"These films leave an impression on every one of us," Mason said. "By having the public watch these short films, it tugs at their emotions and makes them think. No matter where they are in the world, they are linked to each other emotionally."
The screenings begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8. For more information, visit msfilmfest.com.
