A purposeful crowd of Manhattanites and passers-by gathered on Union square this cold Sunday evening for the annual Manhattan Short Festival, a showcase of short films from around the world. This year’s shorts came from Great Britain, Canada and Israel. The idea for the festival, which was started 10 years ago by Australian Nicholas Mason, was for a traveling showcase of short films to be given week-long screenings in multiple cities around the States and abroad. In each city a vote was passed and selected winners selected and shown in New York City in high-definition, no less. Tonight’s event is indeed a very special one: ten years on the short film map and a finalists’ showcase right in the heart of downtown. One of the most compelling films tonight was animated. Josh Raskin’s I Am The Walrus, the Canadian entry, layers animation over a John Lennon interview recorded by one Jerry Levitan, now a lawyer living in Toronto. The montage was done with hand drawings combined with stills and computer illustrations. Read more about the festival here.