ANIMATORS from Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, St Kitts & Nevis and Martinique are among 40 filmmakers from 15 countries expected to participate at the KingstOOn International Animation Film Festival at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston, today and tomorrow.

Films will be screened as they compete for awards in the categories of International Feature Film, Student Film and Short Film.

“We are thrilled to welcome some of the most talented animators from the Caribbean region and around the world to Jamaica for the KingstOOn International Animation Film Festival,” said Hillary Alexander, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Energy, Science, and Technology. “The overwhelming response to the call for entries to the film festival competition and our invitation to come to Jamaica suggests that we are well on the way to realising our goal of KingstOOn being the Caribbean’s premier animation industry event.”

Alexander said finalists from the Caribbean will be joined by others from the USA, Nigeria, Tanzania, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, Colombia and Slovakia.

“We are delighted that with the support of our partners the World Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank, we are able to bring in the finalists from the region, and other countries to present their work, interact and engage with animation enthusiasts who are based here in Jamaica.”

“The Caribbean Development Bank is pleased to facilitate the participation of sixteen (16) animators and animation industry stakeholders from Barbados and member states of the OECS at KingsTOON 2016,” said Lisa Harding, Operations Officer at the Caribbean Development Bank. “This initiative will expose local and regional talent and creativity to global audiences and educate the general population about the possibilities which can be derived from the animation industry,” she added.

KingstOOn is an initiative of the Government of Jamaica in collaboration with the World Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank.