Film lovers around the world will to view and vote on the nine finalists’ films in the 23rd Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival. MANHATTAN SHORT is the only event of its kind. The Final Nine screen simultaneously across the world during a one-month period, with the Best Film and Best Actor awards determined by ballots cast by the audiences in each participating venue.

This year’s Final Nine selections use drama, comedy and animation to address an astonishing number of themes, ranging from identity to parenthood to the seemingly universal frustration caused by the Department of Motor Vehicles no matter the country. The directorial voices are both male and female from countries large and small, often inspired by personal and sometimes harrowing, experience.