Over the past week, movie devotees around the globe have been watching and voting. They have been gathering at venues — cinemas, museums and colleges — to watch ten short films as part of the highly regarded Manhattan Short Film Festival.

On Sunday, southeastern Connecticut viewers can do the same, at the Garde Arts Center.

Those ten films were chosen from 678 entries — the most submissions ever. More than 100,000 people in 250-plus cities are expected to see these shorts before the best film and best actor-actress, which are chosen via audience ballots, are announced at 10 a.m. Monday at ManhattanShort.com.

Nicholas Mason founded the Manhattan Short Film Festival 18 years ago and has seen its audiences grow and grow. As for elements that have contributed to that perpetual expansion, Mason notes that, these days, feature films end up quickly on cable or on video on demand — sometimes in about three months. So if people miss a movie in the theater, they know they can catch it soon somewhere else.

These shorts, though, don't turn up on secondary outlets like that.

"People know if they missed it, they missed it," he says.

Another key to its popularity: festival-goers get the chance to vote on the best film and best actor-actress. At one point, Mason was using celebrity judges to select the winners. He says he's not comfortable with celebrity — a trait he says is common in his native Australia, where people don't care about celebrity.

When he decided to let the attendees judge it instead, he says, the festival found its identity.

"Asking the audience to have an opinion and (acknowledging) that opinion matters is a very powerful thing," Mason says.

The festival draws a wide demographic, with viewers from ages 15 to 80 and coming from many cultures.

The event is particularly popular in Russia, where it's often called "The Popular Festival" or "The Freedom of Speech Festival."

"They love the fact that they get a voice," Mason says.

In Russia, the Manhattan Short Film Festival is screened in 40 venues, but they are often big locales, even stadiums. The U.S. boasts 140 participating sites, but, because the Russian locations are so gigantic, the number of viewers between the two countries is about the same.

And they are passionate about it all. Last week, Mason saw a post on Facebook from a Russian woman who voted for the film "Shok" from Kosovo — about two boys fighting for survival during the Kosovo war and finding their friendship tested — because, she says, it's similar to what's happening between Russia and Ukraine.

This is the first year a short from Kosovo is among the finalists. The same goes for a short from Turkey; it's "Sundown," directed by Sinem Cezayrili, in which "a woman's tranquil day at the beach turns tumultuous when she is forced to confront a sudden new reality concerning her mother."

The other entries range from the "sophisticated animation" of "Bear Story" (from Chile) and "Patch"  (from Switzerland) to the love-lost story of "Forever Over" from Germany.

Starring in the latter is Marleen Lohse, who was a break-out in last year's "Rhino Full Throttle." She becomes the first actor or actress to be in Manhattan Short Film Festival finalists in two consecutive years.

Mason says that this year's festival reflects the importance of women in film. At a time when a lot is written about there being a dearth of strong female roles in feature films, he says, these shorts boast plenty.

A final note: While those who attend the festival vote on that year's winners, they also, in a way, help program the next year's event, Mason says. The votes provide "an amazing insight into what people like," he says.

Manhattan Short Film Festival, 3 p.m. Sunday, Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London; $10; (860) 444-7373.