Film buffs in Bermuda and around the world will have the opportunity to watch ten Oscar-qualified films at the same time — and vote for the best actor at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute this weekend.

All ten films will be screened for three days with a running time of 113 minutes.

Filmgoers in Bermuda will unite with more than 100,000 around the world in watching the films, which hail from nine countries.

The marathon international filmfest was the brainchild of the Manhattan Short Global Film Festival.

A BUEI spokeswoman said: “Manhattan Short is the only event of its kind.

“The final ten are screened 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.”

The ten finalists come from nine countries with films from Syria, Latvia and Georgia representing their countries for the first time.

Two short films come from Spain, the only country with more than one entry in the list.

The BUEI spokeswoman said the final ten short films represent the best short films among a record 1,615 submissions from 75 countries.

She added the volume of entries was “testimony to the enduring vibrancy and creativity of short films”.

The spokeswoman said: “This year’s final ten represent an extraordinary range of film genres with comedy, drama, horror, sci-fi, animation and martial arts short films.

“In addition, all final ten short films will become Oscar-qualified, meaning they will be automatically eligible for an Academy Award nomination, by screening for a week at Arena Cinelounge in Hollywood from September 22 to September 28.”

The festival takes place at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute tonight and tomorrow at 7pm and Sunday at 5.15pm.

You can find a link to the venues around the world at: www.manhattanshort.com/screening-venues.html.