Short and sweet at Vinegar Hill

Fans of short films probably have one or two favorites, old standbys they recommend to friends at the video store. On September 20, they'll have a chance to add some new recommendations to the list as the Manhattan Short Film Festival comes to the Vinegar Hill Theater.

The festival includes 12 films culled from 504 entries from 30 countries. Audiences will vote for a winner to be announced at the final screening September 25 in New York's Union Square Park. The top vote-getter's prize is the chance to direct a feature film.

A list of finalists, including "Cuco Gomez-Gomez is Dead" (USA), a "black comedy with a Latin flavor," and "The Instructional Guide to Dating" (Australia), which takes its inspiration from '50s advice about nuclear attack protocols, is available at msfilmfest.com.

The Manhattan Short Film Festival screens at Vinegar Hill Theater September 20 at 6:30pm. Tickets are $8, $4 for Virginia Film Society members. All the films are less than 14 minutes long.

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