MANHATTAN SHORT had a record 844 submissions from 52 countries, so to be selected as one of the Final 10, and to be the only film chosen from the United States, is overwhelming.
— Mike Pusateri
CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, September 9, 2016 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Chicago produced short film, ELLA GETS A PROMOTION? is one of 10 Finalists for the 2016 Manhattan Short Film Festival. All 10 short films, including ELLA, will become Oscar-qualified, meaning they will become automatically eligible for an Academy Award nomination. ELLA is a comedic short film that takes a humorous look at duplicitous behavior in today’s corporate America, and was shot entirely on location at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart.
The 19th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival is a worldwide event taking place in over 250 cinemas, in all 50 states, and across six continents between September 23 and October 2, 2016.
MANHATTAN SHORT had a record 844 submissions from 52 countries, so to be selected as one of the Final 10, and to be the only film chosen from the United States, is overwhelming.
— Mike Pusateri
MANHATTAN SHORT is the only event of its kind in which the Final 10 will be shown simultaneously across the world during a one-week period, with the Best Film and Best Actor awards determined by ballots cast by the audiences in each participating cinema. Erin Breen, who plays the title role of ELLA, has been nominated by the festival for Best Actor.
For a listing of all locations and information, please visit www.manhattanshort.com
“On behalf of Team ELLA, we’re incredibly proud to be named a Finalist in this year’s MANHATTAN SHORT, and to have our work recognized by such a prestigious organization,” said Mike Pusateri who wrote, produced, and co-directed the film. “MANHATTAN SHORT had a record 844 submissions from 52 countries, so to be selected as one of the Final 10, and to be the only film chosen from the United States, is overwhelming. And obviously, being eligible for an Academy Award nomination is just something that’s beyond our wildest dreams. All of Team ELLA is over the moon and excited about this achievement. We’re still pinching ourselves!”
Erin Breen stars in the title role of ELLA and has been nominated for Best Actor by MANHATTAN SHORT. “When Mike shared his script with me last year, I loved it and told him immediately I wanted to do it. Having worked in a corporate setting myself, I found the material hilarious and relatable in a nuanced sense,” said Breen, who recently recurred on HBO’s SILICON VALLEY. “I knew Mike has always been influenced by Mike Judge’s work and you could definitely see that in the writing.”
“Having spent several years in The Land of Cubicles, I know the inanities and frustrations faced by so many people each and every day. We wanted to skewer that a little bit and make a fun film that feels relatable,” said Pusateri. “I hope lots of people will come to a screening and that everyone will vote for ELLA and Erin!”
Joining Breen in the all-female cast was Jennifer Cudahy, who plays JILL. “Working on ELLA was such a blast,” says Cudahy. “I love that we were able to work and play so well together as an ensemble to bring this story to life. And to have our efforts recognized like this is sensational.”
Rounding out the team was Richard Diaz, who co-directed the film and served as its cinematographer and editor. “So much time and effort goes into creating any film, and to be part of this truly worldwide festival is absolutely amazing.” said Diaz.
This is just the latest honor for ELLA. In addition to being a Finalist for MANHATTAN SHORT, the film is also an Official Selection of the 2016 Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival, and is the winner of a prestigious Award of Merit from The Accolade Global Film Competition.
Trailer for ‘Ella Gets a Promotion?’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62iaY7rD1PI
