Manhattan Short Film Festival Saturday at Poncan Theatre

The BisonBison Film Festival is hosting the annual Manhattan Short Film Festival at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in the historic Poncan Theatre.

The Manhattan Short Film Festival is a unique experience that occurs simultaneously in theaters across six continents.

Started in 1998, Manhattan Short is a competition for film makers around the world to submit short films, which are then voted on by the global audience. This year, 678 films were submitted from 52 countries and the 10 finalists were selected to be shown from Sept. 25 through Oct. 4, at hundreds of international venues.

The votes in Ponca City are tallied along with those from other audiences around the globe, and the winners are announced Oct. 6.

“This is such an exciting event to have in Ponca City,” said BisonBison Film Festival board president John McNeese. “Just imagine, thousands of people from all areas of the world are watching and voting on the same films that we are here in Ponca City.”

Ponca City audiences will get their chance to experience this one-of-a-kind film festival and vote for their favorite at the film screenings at the Poncan Theatre.

This year’s Manhattan Short Festival finalists are:

Listen. A foreign woman, wearing a burqa, is in a Copenhagen police station with her young son to file a complaint. It seems the translator is not willing to report what she is telling. Run Time: 13.37 minutes. Directors: Hamy Ramezan and Rungano Nyoni. Country: Finland and Denmark.

Dad in Mum. A little girl hilariously explains the complexities of adult relationships to her younger precocious sister. Run Time: 6 minutes. Director: Fabrice Bracq. Country: France.

Bear Story. In this animated tale, a bear uses mechanical figures to relate the story of his oppressed life to one cub at a time. Run Time: 10:40 minutes. Director: Gabriel Osorio. Country: Chile.

Forever Over. A young couple devises a wish list to spice up their lives, but its fulfillment leads to unforeseen consequences. Run Time: 13 minutes. Director: Erik Schmitt. Country: Germany.

Shok. The friendship of two boys is tested to its limits as they battle for survival during the Kosovo war. Run Time: 21 minutes. Director: Jamie Donoughue. Country: Kosovo & UK.

Grounded. An airline ticketing agent rises to the occasion when faced with an extraordinary situation posed by a pair of passengers. Run Time: 19 minutes. Director: Alexis Mikhalik. Country: France.

Sundown. A woman’s tranquil day at the beach turns tumultuous when she is forced to confront a sudden, new reality concerning her mother. Run Time: 15 minutes. Director: Sinem Cezayirli. Country: Turkey.

Patch. Tiles on a wall reveal the elephant in the room, among other things, in this fast-paced animation that plays with perspective and abstractions. Run Time: 3 minutes. Director: Gerd Gockell. Country: Switzerland & Germany.

El Camino Solo. A modern businessman strands himself on a desert highway only to be saved by rescuers who are more in touch with humanity than he is. Run Time: 12 minutes. Director: Shawn Telford. Country: USA.

Bis Gliech. Two senior citizens view Berlin city life from their respective windows on opposite sides of the street and develop an unusual bond. Run Time: 15 minutes. Director: Benjamin Wolff. Country: Germany.

Billed as the “World’s first global film festival,” the Manhattan Short Film Festival is a new way to experience films that we might not otherwise have the opportunity to see.

“Hosting the festival in the historic Poncan Theatre makes this extra special,” McNeese said.

Tickets to the Manhattan Short Film Festival are $10 each and are available at the Poncan Theatre box office, by calling (580) 765-0943 or by contacting a BisonBison Film Festival board member.

The mission of the BisonBison Film Festival is to recognize and showcase the work of student filmmakers enrolled in academic programs in the Mid-America region. For more information, visit http:// www.bisonbisonfilmfestival.org .