Filmgoers in over 250 cities worldwide including Mumbai spanning six continents will unite to view and judge the work of next generation filmmakers for the 18th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival. This is the sixth consecutive year for the festival in India.

This year, Manhattan Short received 672 short film entries from 52 countries. The 10 finalists hail from eight countries, with short films from Turkey and Kosovo representing their respective countries for the first time. These short films will not only entertain a global audience but will be judged by them as well. Cinema-goers will become instant film critics as they are handed a ballot upon entry that allows them to vote for the Best Film and Best Actor.

Votes will be sent through to Manhattan Short HQ with the winner announced at ManhattanShort.com on 5 October. This year?s Manhattan Short highlights the continued importance of women in film. Half of this year?s selections feature actresses ranging in age from children to senior citizens.

Other short films like Bear Story and Patch are sophisticated animations, as Manhattan Short continues to support this important art form.

Manhattan Short 2015 in India conducted the second edition of the competition - Vote for India, which saw filmmakers from across India send in their short film entries to compete for a spot in the global finalist list. The films were hosted on the India chapter?s website ? http://www.manhattanshortindia.com where Indian audiences voted for the films they believed should enter the global finalist list and win the India chapter of the festival.

While no Indian film made the cut for the global finalist list, the films that won the India chapter from among the numerous entries include Aavrati that presents a teenage girl?s encounter with a good-hearted cop; El?ayichi starring Nimrat Kaur, Divyendu Sharma and Vibha Chibber; Karan Tejpal?s No Anaesthesia; a first-hand and unique account of the Bhopal tragedy in Bhopal Diaries 2012 and Ganesh Matkari?s take on sexuality in the glamour world - Shot.

?In times like these, cross-border events like Manhattan Short that contribute towards greater tolerance and understanding are needed now more than ever. I want to thank and congratulate all the filmmakers and cinemas involved in this global cinematic event. Manhattan Short is about communities bonding together via their local cinema,? said Manhattan Short founding director Nicholas Mason.

Festival Director for India Anil Sadarangani added, ?Manhattan Short serves as a platform for the filmmaker?s to be recognized internationally for their talent. We are expecting a great response from the city for the short films presented at the festival.?

The Foods and Beverages (F&B) industry in India is expected to get a massive boost from new international and domestic outlet launches at retail destinations like airport, train stations and highways across the country.

The joint venture between Lite Bite Foods and HMSHost is expected to pump in Rs 100 crores in reinventing the outlets at the various travel destinations in India.

This JV, which will operate under the name Lite Bite Foods HMSHost, will be based out of Gurgaon in Delhi.

HMSHost?s presence across the dynamic F&B markets in the world, permeates Lite Bite Foods entry in new markets. The association combines the global resources and expertise of HMSHost and Lite Bite Foods, and will capitalise on the strong reputation HMSHost has developed as a leading provider of food and beverage services for travellers.

Lite Bite Foods? overseas chains are Baker's Street, Punjab Grill and Fresc Co, and Autogrill, which are among the oldest F&B service provider for travellers across the globe.

Lite Bite Foods chairman Amit Burman is hopeful that the new company has the combined value of Autogrill's international expertise and Lite Bite Foods' extensive local market and cuisine knowledge and network of established outlets. ?This agreement represents each organisation?s strong commitment to provide the best F&B retail experience to our consumers across all travel channels. Together, we will bring an exciting new force to the country's travel food retail industry and revolutionise this emerging channel,? he adds.

Lite Bite Foods CEO Sharad Sachdeva said, ?With millions of passengers travelling annually, the transit hubs like airports and railway stations have become a strategic location for our brand?s presence. We are very excited about this JV and this association will definitely help extend our brand in neighbouring countries as well.?

Starbucks hosted a unique challenge called Starbucks Coffee Championship in India, where 150 of the company?s partners competed with each other on their expertise and knowledge of coffee.

After many regional rounds that tested their coffee skills and acumen, Saili Rane from the Starbucks store at the Mumbai Domestic Airport earned the title of the Starbucks Coffee Champion, while Rubeena Qureshi from Starbucks Bandra, Mumbai and Shikhar Hali from Starbucks Mantri Mall, Bangalore were the runner ups.

During the finale held in Mumbai, partners competed in four  challenging rounds, which comprised a personal coffee tasting Pour Over session, a bar skill round, which tested their beverage artistry skills and the ultimate Blind Tasting round to test the accuracy of their coffee palate. The last round was an elaborate Q&A round where Coffee Masters were judged on the basis of their proposed presentations to elevate coffee leadership in their markets.

Tata Starbucks CEO Avani Davda said, ?We?re thrilled to host the first Starbucks Coffee Championship in India. The Starbucks Coffee Championship is a celebration of our unique store partners and their passion and commitment to the brand as well as their coffee artistry.?

The winners of the India Championship will participate in the Starbucks Regional Championship to be held later this year in South East Asia.