Manhattan Short Film Festival cancelled in Ukraine due to the festival also being held in Russia

The Arthouse Traffic film company cancelled the screening of the Manhattan Short Film Festival due to the festival being held in Russia virtually.

The press service of Arthouse Traffic reported this.

For Russians, the festival has organised an online screening with Russian subtitles in more than 50 countries. The festival's website also has direct instructions for Russian residents explaining how to bypass sanctioned payment systems when buying a ticket. In Belarus, offline screenings will be held. 

The American organisers ignored the arguments of the Ukrainian co-organiser about the inappropriateness of holding the festival in Russia.

Arthouse Traffic refuses to hold the event because of the decision of the festival's founder, Nick Mason, to hold screenings in Russia and Belarus. The company is also breaking off relations with Mason after 16 years of cooperation.

The Manhattan Short Film Festival is one of the largest short film festivals in the world. The festival has been held for 26 years in 500 cities around the world. Arthouse Traffic reports that in Ukraine, the festival was one of the most visited short film festivals.