Manhattan Film Festival

Annual film festival in the US

The Manhattan Film Festival (MFF) is an annual film festival that was founded in 2006 by filmmakers Philip J. Nelson and Jose Ruiz Jr.[1]

In July 2010, Nelson and Ruiz filed a lawsuit against the Tribeca Film Festival, alleging unfair competition and accusing them of stealing their idea for a virtual film festival, with one of their main claims being that Tribeca's slogan "the people have spoken" was based on the Manhattan Film Festival's slogan "the viewers have spoken".[2]

A 2013 Indiewire article reported on logistical problems several festival participants faced when trying to screen their films, with one calling the festival was "rampantly disorganized". The article cited examples of last-minute venue changes, screening the wrong version of films, and failing to communicate with filmmakers. The festival pulled one film, Full Circle, when director Solvan Naim contacted his lawyer after learning of a venue change that festival organizers had failed to inform him about.[3]

## Notable films and awards[edit]

* In 2011, the festival screened White Irish Drinkers, a film written and directed by John Gray, creator of the CBS series Ghost Whisperer.
* In 2011, Jeff Stewart won Best Actor for his role in Under Jakob's Ladder. Stewart is best known in the United Kingdom for his role as Reg Hollis in the ITV series The Bill.
* In 2013, Yuck! A 4th Grader's Documentary About School Lunch was screened at the festival: a 20-minute documentary by 11-year-old Zachary Maxwell, an elementary school student in Little Italy, Manhattan, who used a hidden camera to document the school lunches his school served, which often did not resemble those listed on the Department of Education's online menus.[4][5]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Manhattan Film Festival prepare for 2011 event (Includes interview)". digitaljournal.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-25.
2. ^ Child, Ben (7 July 2010). "New York innovators sue Tribeca film festival for 'theft' of interactive concepts". the Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
3. ^ Guerrasio, Jason (30 July 2013). "Can You Trust This Film Festival?". IndieWire. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
4. ^ Lestch, Corinne (15 June 2013). "11-year-old screens short film about 'disgusting' school lunch food". nydailynews.com.
5. ^ Sen, Indrani (May 9, 2013). "The Michael Moore of the Grade-School Lunchroom".

## External links[edit]

* Manhattan Film Festival – Official Site