On final day The festival organizers invited all team members and volunteers on stage at the red carpet, a couple of speeches later, a strong and surprising closing film "The Guard" they all enjoying final momenst around a glass of champagne and a hot DJ.
The consensus within festival attendees of the second edition was a feeling of leaving friends and family behind.
A family we will only be seeing in a year from now for the third edition.
The festival performed, on my personal scale, with high marks on each individual level: quality of film, programming and events, attendance, diversity of filmmakers profiles offering their masterclass "in conversation with....". Fantastic hospitality developped into personal relationship and bondings.
The return from Aruba will be difficult.
On a personal level I have also initiated many exciting discussions, some of them after the screening of my movie Ensemble.
The improvised Q&A that followed the screening was amazing for a a modest short film, but the theme triggered very warm response and emotions.
The closing party needs to be mentionned for it was , by far, the most fun of the whiiiole week (yes I mean one party a night).
the pool Party ended around 2.00 with a good score of splashes in the pool. Many of us jumped into the pool and Giuseppe was not the last to do so.
Bruno Chatelin