The three-day festival at Redlands United Church of Christ will feature 69 artists, live music, food vendors and a special exhibition by landscape painter Jason Situ.
“Never Give Up” was the top choice among Redlands audiences, while the British short film “Life Goes On” took home the festival’s global gold medal.
Police returned a puppy valued at up to $7,000 to its owners and responded to two crashes involving suspected impaired drivers.
“Never Give Up” was the top choice among Redlands audiences, while the British short film “Life Goes On” took home the festival’s global gold medal.
REDLANDS, Calif. — Audiences in Redlands had a different favorite than moviegoers worldwide at the 2026 Manhattan Short Film Festival, selecting the Mexican short film “Never Give Up” as their top choice.
The festival, presented locally by Redlands Cinema Classic at Harkins Mountain Grove 16 on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, invited audiences to vote for their favorite short film and actor alongside viewers at participating venues around the world.
While Redlands audiences favored “Never Give Up,” the festival's global gold medal for best film went to “Life Goes On,” a British comedy-drama written and directed by husband-and-wife team Kat Butterfield and Daniel Audritt.
The film follows a hospice patient awaiting death who finds himself trapped in a time loop, with each day restarting whenever his heart stops.
“Life Goes On” also earned the festival's best actor award for David Bradley, who portrays Bill. Bradley said the script struck him immediately and that he knew he wanted to take the role.
The silver medal went to “When the Sea Was Calm,” a silent, handcrafted animated film from Georgia. Animated by Mamuka Tkeshelashvili and produced by Vladimer Katcharava, the film explores memories of prewar Sokhumi through a story of childhood, first love, exile and the hope of returning home.
“Never Give Up,” written and directed by Tamás Yvan Topolánszky, received the bronze medal. The film follows a young boy attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, guided by his mother's final words to never give up.
Local moviegoers ranked the three films in a different order than the global results:
Redlands audiences also favored José María Gómez of “Never Give Up” for best actor, placing him seven votes ahead of global winner David Bradley of “Life Goes On.”
The annual Manhattan Short Film Festival brings international short films to theaters and other screening venues around the world, allowing audiences to participate in selecting the winners.
Learn more about the Redlands Cinema Classic here.
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