Cobb Theatres Wants You To Be the Judge!

NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cobb Theatres invites its moviegoers to unite with audiences in over 300 cities spanning six continents to view and judge the work of the next generation, of filmmakers from around the world when the 15th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival screens at on Sat 9/29 at 5:00pm, Sun 9/30 at 2:00pm, and Thurs 10/4 at 7:00pm at the following locations:

Cobb Hollywood 16 & IMAX in Tuscaloosa, AL
Cobb Countryside 12 Theatre in Clearwater, FL
Cobb Lakeside 18 & IMAX in Lakeland, FL
Cobb Merritt Square & IMAX in Merritt Island, FL
Cobb Plaza Cinema Cafe 12 in Orlando, FL
Cobb Downtown 16 Theatre in Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Cobb Village 12 Cinemas in Leesburg, VA

CineBistro at Solaris in Vail, CO
CineBistro at Dolphin Mall in Miami, FL
CineBistro at Hyde Park Village in Tampa, FL
CineBistro at Town Brookhaven in Atlanta, GA
CineBistro at Stony Point Fashion Park in Richmond, VA

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081124/NY48222LOGO)

Out of 520 entries received from 49 countries around the world, MANHATTAN SHORT selected 10 short films as finalists. Each film is 18 minutes or under in length. Countries represented this year include Norway, The Netherlands, Russia, England, Ireland, Peru, France, Romania, Spain and the USA in what festival organizers describe as the "United Nations of Film Festivals."

These short films will not only entertain a global audience but will be judged by them as well. Filmgoers will be handed a voting card upon entry and asked to vote for the one film they feel should win. Votes are tallied at each participating cinema and submitted to festival headquarters where the winner will be announced in New York City as well as posted on the net at www.ManhattanShort.com on Sunday, October 7th at 10:00pm.

With past finalists achieving the ultimate in recognition by being nominated and even winning the Oscar in the short film category, the Manhattan Short has become known as a breeding ground for the next big thing.

In one week, over 100,000 people from as far north as St. Petersburg, Russia to as far south as Buenos Aires, Argentina, as far east as Kathmandu, Nepal and  as far west as Perth, Australia, to over 150 cinemas in 47 US States will come together to view and vote on these 10 films. "While the goal of any festival is to discover and promote new talent, the real aim of this festival is bringing communities together via stories from around the world," says Nicholas Mason, MANHATTAN SHORT founder and director.

"Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that what started as a small, relatively simple event when I projected a handful of short films onto the side of a truck on a downtown Manhattan street 15 years ago, would grow into what it is today, with communities all over the world getting together to celebrate via ten short films... It's become like Earth Day - but with film." adds Mason.

For more information on the Festival and to read detailed interviews with the 10 Finalists visit www.ManhattanShort.com or click on the following links:
Download 300 dpi stills of the finalist films at http://www.manhattanshort.com/p_press_finalist_stills.html
To see a list of cinemas taking part in 2012 at   http://www.manhattanshort.com/cinemas.html
To read interviews with Filmmakers at   http://www.manhattanshort.com/finalists.html
View Film Trailer for Festival: at  http://www.manhattanshort.com/trailer.html

About Cobb Theatres

Cobb Theatres, based in Birmingham, AL., is a progressive motion picture exhibitor operating 253 screens at 21 locations throughout the Southeastern United States. We are committed to being the leader in providing the ultimate entertainment experience, while maintaining a rich heritage of family values and integrity. Consistently surpassing our guests' expectations is a natural outgrowth of our dedication to empowering team members to deliver excellence in guest service. CineBistro, the premiere cinema and dinner-in-a-movie concept, created by Cobb Theatres is currently being developed around the country and have seven locations operating in Tampa FL, Miami FL, Vail CO, Hampton VA and Richmond VA and Atlanta, GA.

For more information on Cobb Theatres or CineBistro, visit www.cobbtheatres.com  or www.cobbcinebistro.com

SOURCE Cobb Theatres