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July 2016 |
Around 200 films made the final cut, including features from Albania, Colombia, France, Guinea-Bissau, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, and Spain, along with specially invited films from Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. The first edition of the Festival, which was non-competitive, did afford recognition to films, based on audience impact and engagement. Great emphasis was placed on active youth engagement, in the hope that this translates to a love for film and a deeper understanding of themselves through this medium. Thus the festival featured specific blocks for secondary level students, and the organizers sought meaningful interaction with the participating students.
Festival director and coordinator of the UWI Film Programme, Yao Ramesar said, “One takeaway of the festival was how strong and diverse audiences felt the lineup of films was. This speaks volumes about the quality and quantity of films being produced around the world and provides us with a window to the global marketplace that we have to operate in. The festival on tour is an embodiment of the festival and its image “Caribbean Man # 2” by Stanley Greaves, which depicts a mobile Caribbean vendor.”
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Following the success of the World Festival of Emerging Cinema’s (WOFEC) inaugural edition, hosted by The UWI Film Programme (May 19-22), the festival will tour Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean through 2017. WOFEC audiences were treated to a notably diverse festival lineup, selected from approximately 700 submissions from 76 countries, showcasing some of the best animation, documentary and narrative works by emerging international filmmakers. 
Dr. Heather Cateau, Dean of Humanities and Education, recognized the festival and film as necessary to the St. Augustine Campus and Faculty being a “global force”. She added that we must put the perspectives of artistes front and centre, as they are integral to the opening of new frontiers in a time when we are met with many economic challenges.