A short film by a Georgian director has become the first production from the country to be selected among finalists of the Manhattan Short Film Festival, an event screening to over 100,000 film enthusiasts.
The apocalyptic short 8 Minutes by directors Giorgi Gogichaishvili was revealed in the finalists’ shortlist on Saturday.
Selected from over 1,600 initial submissions from 75 countries, the 10 films come from filmmakers around the world and will be screened at more than 250 venues on six continents starting next month.
MANHATTAN SHORT 2017 Release Finalists: https://t.co/HU013bOuuK
— ManhattanShort (@ManhattanShort) August 20, 2017
The screenings will be followed by audience voting for Best Film and Best Actor of the festival. 8 Minutes actor Slava Natenadze is nominated in the latter category.
Selection among the 10 finalists has also made the short film eligible for the 2018 Academy Awards.
Produced by Sibler Films, the film follows different characters in their decisions in an apocalyptic scenario of the sun’s light going out.
The script mainly follows its principal protagonist in his decisions over eight minutes — the time needed for the sun’s rays to cease reaching the planet — before the total blackout.
The script of ‘8 Minutes’ follows characters in their decisions before a total solar blackout. Photo: Manhattan Short.
This year 8 Minutes was named Short to the Point Festival’s Best Film for the month of July. The work was also awarded the Georgian National Film Centre contest during its production phase.
The short’s selection among the finalists of the Manhattan festival comes at the anniversary 20th edition of the event.
Venues confirmed to host screenings of the shortlisted works can be found on the official website of the festival.