The Putnam County Public Library will host the 29th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival starting Wednesday, Sept. 30 through Saturday, Oct. 3.

This event is free and open to the public.

Attendees can watch 10 carefully curated short films from around the world in a 140-minute experience. Attendees will be given a voting card before the film festival starts to select their favorite film and actor/actress at the end. Winners and runners-up will be announced in mid to late October.

There will be four showings of the film festival at the library.

Wednesday, Sept.30 – 5-8 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 1 – 5-8 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 2 – 2-5 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 3 – 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Each day features the same 10 films. Attendees do not need to attend multiple showings. Please arrive 15 minutes early. Popcorn and light refreshments will be provided.

Below are the 10 finalists featured this year:

“Small Talk” (USA – 9 minutes): In a neon-drenched future where AI has consumed nearly every profession, a weary cab driver preserves the last traces of humanity the only way he can, through small talk.

“Mary is Missing” (Ireland – 22 minutes): When care worker Mary vanishes without a trace, Det. Foley arrives at the Yellow Tree Day Service and investigations begin. As reports from the eyewitnesses become more and more confounding, viewers are asked to explore the reliability of truth, the strangeness of fiction and the people we choose to believe.

“Candy Bar” (Australia – 6 minutes): A young girl thinks a man in the candy bar line looks like her dad.

“Vultures” (South Africa – 15 minutes): In the volatile moments after a car crash, before the authorities arrive, a hot-headed yet desperate tow truck driver fiercely protects his tow. But the situation quickly spirals out of his control.

“Life Goes On” (United Kingdom – 19 minutes): Bill is in end-of-life care waiting for the sweet release of death – but unfortunately for him, he’s stuck in an infinite time loop, causing the day to restart the second his heart stops…

“Hai Davai” (Moldova – 16 minutes): On the cusp of leaving her rural Moldovan village for a new life abroad, Nina is stopped, quite literally, by an old superstition: a black cat crosses the road. Citing bad luck, her worried grandmother refuses to let her pass.

“Pickup” (Russia – 3 minutes): At a pickup workshop, every girl gets a mission — flirt, charm and win. For Di, the shyest one in the room, the task is simple: Ask a guy to buy her coffee. Passing by her more confident “competitors,” she ends up on a rooftop smoking area, where she meets Alex — a man about to end his life.

“Norheimsund” (Cuba – 12 minutes): A girl’s long-distance romance with an older Norwegian man promises to pull her and her mother from their austere life in Cuba, but her dreams are shaken when she realizes he isn’t as idyllic as he seems.

“When the Sea Was Calm” (Georgia – 18 minutes): A silent, hand-crafted Georgian animated short that transforms memories of pre-war Sokhumi into a poetic story of childhood, first love, exile and the dream of return.

“Never Give Up!” (Hungary, Mexico – 20 minutes): Alone in the desert, a young boy attempts to cross the U.S.-Mexico border guided only by his mother’s final words: Never give up. An unexpected source of hope leads him toward a twist that redefines survival.

Some films may contain mature themes and are not suitable for young audiences.

Flyers including the movie titles and descriptions will be available at the library. For more information,email adultprograms@pcpl21.org or call 765-301-7196. You can also visit the Manhattan Short website: www.manhattanshort.com

This event was made possible by the Friends of the Putnam County Public Library.