Jamaica’s premiere animation conference and film festival, KingstOOn has received over 2,100 entries from more than 100 countries for its 2021 competition — more than ever before in the event’s history. “An amazing show in a year where the physical collaboration on projects was stymied worldwide by COVID restrictions,” noted KingstOOn’s Animation Specialist, Robert Reid.
KingstOOn will hold its fourth edition and first-ever virtual event April 21-25. Organizers are expecting 10,000-plus attendees.
In spite of global challenges, filmmakers of all stripes in 108 countries rose to the occasion, submitting almost 1,500 entries in the Best International Short Film category, followed by over 750 in the Best International Student Film category and about 300 in the Best International Special Effects Film category.
The Competition has, however, according to KingstOOn organizers, brought to the fore the limitations faced by Caribbean content creators, whose overall submissions dropped as economic challenges left many unable to focus on the competition and even obliged some to pivot outside of the industry seeking alternate sources of income. The decline in participation from Jamaican students was also noticeable, as many depend on school computer labs to collaborate and create content.
“Limited access to technology is, unfortunately, a Caribbean-wide source of contention,” Reid said. But, he added that despite this, “Jamaica ranked sixth with 100 submissions in the Caribbean Short Film, Character Design, Concept and the Storyboard categories. In total there were 124 submissions from the Caribbean.”
Receiving this many film entries can only help KingstOOn curate a vibrant, multicultural Animation Film Festival that truly celebrates this year’s theme of “Diversity in Animation.” Although the Animation Conference will begin on April 21, the Film Festival is slated to start on April 15, with films being accessible on demand after they are aired.
Register now for free at www.kingstoonfest.com.
