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Manhattan Short Film Festival 2008: finalists (ENG)
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MANHATTAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2008
FINALISTS:
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Runtime: 140'
1) RIPPLE
dir. Paul Gowers, Great Britain, 16' 
One small random act of malice forces an ordinary man off the safe road and on to a dark journey he'll never forget.
Paul Gowers: "The more realistic and straight you play the central character, the further you can go"
2) ODE OBER
dir. Hiba Vink, Netherlands, 11'
The waiter has been supplying perfect strangers with food and drinks for as long as he can remember. His murmured maelstrom of acute observations reveals an acquired omniscience regarding his clients' preferences and character traits. One day, something makes him ponder the concept of life beyond the doors of the restaurant.
Hiba Vink: "I wanted to stage two different worlds but through the eyes of a waiter"
3) RACHEL
dir. Chris King, USA, 13'
After a suburban couple finally meets the pregnant young woman whose baby they are adopting, they are left with haunting and unforgettable memories of her forever. Based on a powerful true story that made national headlines in the U.S.
Chris King: "I never go looking for a story, but as they say, 'truth is stranger than fiction' "
4) TEAT BEAT OF SEX
dir. Signe Baumane, USA, 7'30''
It is a take on first kiss, first make out session, first jealousy, first sex exclusively from a girl's point of view.
Signe Baumane: "Some people just don't like things about sex, right? They just hear the word 'sex' and they are freaked out. But what pleases me is that women are really happy about Teat Beat"
5) SOUR MILK
dir. Amit Gicelter, Israel, 10'
Jerusalem 1929, set against the backdrop of one of the harshest Arab attacks on the Jews in British Mandatory Palestine. Seven-year-old Haga goes with her mother, Leah, to the market to buy groceries for the Sabbath. Forgetful of the late hour and unaware of the events brewing, they find themselves trapped in riots, in a local Arab spice store. Thanks to the kind-hearted storekeeper, Leah is offered a chance to save her daughter and perhaps herself as well.
6) NEW BOY
dir. Stephanie Green, Ireland, 11'05''
The only thing harder than Joseph's first day of school in Ireland was his last day of school in Africa.
Stephanie Green: "I think this film is about behavior towards 'outsiders' in general and the possibilities of friendship"
7) MOTHER, MINE
dir. Susan Everett, Great Britain, 16'
"Hello Mum. My name's Alison. I was born on the sixth of June, twenty eight years ago. But you know that already, don't you?"
Grieving the death of her adoptive mother, Alison tries to track down her natural mother to find a replacement 'mum'. She sends out a videotape as an introduction. But are her intentions what they seem?
Susan Everett: "I want people to watch this and think: What does she do next? It keeps the film alive"
8) MAKE MY DAY
dir. Pelle Moeller, Denmark, 8' 
A Man arrives in the emergency hall with his son who has sprained his ankle in school. The father has always told the boy to never let anyone put you down, and what would 'Clint' do in such a situation. However, when the attending doctor turns out to be one of those that bullied his father back in his school days, the kid takes matters into his own hands.
Pelle Moeller: "If you can move people in a couple of minutes, I think that's a great short story and a great short film"
9) THE GAME
dir. John Cohen-Du Four, New Zealand, 8'30''
The Game explores human fate by observing another, hidden level of existence - a place where decisions about life and death are literally played out on a strange game board. Two middle-aged men, Monty and Lazlo, face off in this dark watery underworld, in a surreal match neither can afford to lose.
10) CHANGE COMING
dir. Mark Alston, Australia, 8'
A true to life personal story set on a farm in Australia.
Mark Alston: "There is no happy ending in real life. There is no ending. Life just continues"
11) VIVA SUNITA
dir. Bob & Lola, India, 3'
Late at night a man stops under the window of someone's apartment and calls her name. No one responds from above. A motley group helpful people slowly gather and expand the chorus, calling her name... When no one responds to this collective ruckus, everything changes...
Bob & Lola: "Could this film happen on a New York street? Perhaps."
12) THE GOLDEN THREAD
dir. Diego Sanchidrián Rubio, Spain, 16' 
Sometimes, mystifying bonds are set up between people. Bonds which overcome distance, oblivion and unawareness. And when those bonds are created, they can become what we need to survive.
Manhattan Short Film Festival 2008 screening.
