Prescott, Arizona (September 22, 2025) – Yavapai College invites you to start October in shorts this year – and vote an aspiring filmmaker to the Oscars. Yavapai College’s School of Film & Media Arts presents the 28th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival,’ Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Elks Theater, 117 E. Gurley Street, in Prescott.
“The Manhattan Short Film Festival has been a favorite with Prescott audiences since 2013,” said Helen Stephenson, Director of the Yavapai College School of Film & Media Arts. “This is an Oscar-qualifying festival that gives us a chance to see the best of the best short films. The audience votes for the winners, and everyone loves that participation.”
The Manhattan Short Film Festival tours ten Academy Award-eligible short films around the world to curry the favor – and the votes – of local audiences. These Final Ten selections, from eight different countries, represent the year’s very best in short-subject filmmaking.
This year’s Manhattan Short Film Festival finalists are:
The festival screens these films internationally during a one-week period, with ‘Best Film’ and ‘Best Actor’ awards determined by ballots cast by the audiences in each venue. Votes will be tabulated at the festival headquarters, with the winning film announced Sunday Oct. 5, at 10 a.m. (EST), on ManhattanShort.com
The 28th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival will be held Wednesday night, October 1, at 6:30 p.m. at The Elks Theater and Performing Arts Center, 117 E. Gurley Street in Prescott. Tickets are $7 - $12, including fees. Tickets are available at the Elks Theater Box Office. For more information about the Manhattan Short Film Festival, please contact Helen Stephenson at: helen.stephenson@yc.edu.
Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over one hundred degrees and certificates, four baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu.