DANBURY — Over 100,000 film-lovers are expected to gather in over 250 cinemas, across six continents, for one purpose: to view and vote on the work of the next generation of filmmakers from around the world in the 18th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival.

Local film enthusiasts can get their first glimpse of these shorts, and meet the festival’s founder and director this Friday, September 25, as the festival premiers at the Palace Theater in Danbury. Patrons are invited to a reception before the show with complementary wine and Stella Artois beer being served.

Carol Spiegel, managing director of The Palace Danbury Theatre, said it’s an “honor to have Nick Mason open this prestigious film festival in Danbury.

“This will be the fifth consecutive year the film festival has graced the screen of The Palace,” she added. “It has become a perennial film fan favorite.”

This year, “Manhattan Short” received 672 short film entries from 52 countries. The ten finalists hail from eight countries, with short films from Turkey and Kosovo representing their respective countries for the first time.

These shorts will not only screen to a global audience, but will be judged by them as well. Festival attendees will be handed a ballot upon entry that allows them to vote for the Best Film and Best Actor.

Manhattan Short is the ultimate audience award, which salutes the creative talents of both directors behind the camera and actors in front of the lens. The winner will be announced at ManhattanShort.com on Monday October 5, at 10 am (EST).

Finalists for 2015 are Listen (Finland), Dad’s In Mum (France), Bear Story (Chile), Forever Over (Germany), Shok (Kosovo), Grounded (France), Sundown (Turkey), Patch (Switzerland), El Camino Solo (United States), and Bis Gleich (Germany)

This year’s top ten highlights the continued importance of women in film. Half of this year’s selections feature females ranging in age from children to senior citizens.

Audiences from last year’s Manhattan Short will see rising star Marleen Lohse once again in Forever Over, making her the first actor, male or female, to appear in consecutive years in a festival short.

Two other films — Bear Story and Patch — are sophisticated animations, as Manhattan Short continues to support this unique art form.

And, as always, these short films set in a wide range of locales, from Turkish beaches and mountains on the Balkans, to the streets of Berlin and the backroads of America’s West Coast.

The festival’s founder and director sees his festival as being more than an offering of top-notch film works.

“In times like these, cross-border events like Manhattan Short that contribute towards greater tolerance and understanding are needed now more than ever,” said Mr Mason. “I want to thank and congratulate all the filmmakers and cinemas involved in this global cinematic event. This event is not going to cable TV or Video on Demand. It’s not streamed on the Internet. Manhattan Short is about communities bonding together via their local cinema.”

The first iteration of this event was held in 1998, when 16 short films were shown onto a screen mounted on the side of a truck in Little Italy’s Mulberry Street in New York City. It has since blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon.

The festival will be at The Palace Danbury on Friday, September 25, starting at 8 pm. Tickets are $12 and may be purchased online at thepalacedanbury.com, by phone at 203-794-9944, or at the box office starting one hour before showtime.

The Palace Danbury is located at 165 Main Street, with free parking in the lot behind the building. For more information about this and all upcoming shows visit thepalacedanbury.com.