Documentaries, music videos, thrillers, dramas, and 90-second shorts—all these genres and more were represented in the 2016 Study Abroad Film Festival, where we received a record-breaking 70 student film submissions! Now, after being reviewed and narrowed down by our international jury members (and with a tie in two of our categories!), it’s time for you to cast your vote for one of our five finalists across our three categories. The 2016 finalist films are:
A Day in the Life (90 Second)
“This is my love letter to Dublin, to my abroad experience, to the friends I made and the family they became to me. And ultimately, this is a love letter to my closest friend, Darragh. I hope you enjoy and feel the magic that I was lucky enough to experience.” |
Creative Short
"I Choose Openness is a short film that depicts how study abroad has influenced my understanding of the notion of identity. It parallels my journey to understand the conflicts in the world with my own internal conflict caused by my different Muslim, American, and immigrant identities. With the rising anti-immigrant and Muslim rhetoric in the United States, I think this story is more important than ever. I hope that my choice to choose uncertainty over absolutes and to see differences as reasons for celebration rather than a source of conflict will also help others find peace in their understanding of identity and our world at large.” |
“These are the highlights of my semester studying abroad in Europe! I took a camera with me everywhere I went and danced, walked, and had fun hanging out in front of what I thought was beautiful and unique to the city. I also danced in the places where I spent most of my time while I was studying in Vienna, such as a grocery store called Billa. I am so thankful I had this opportunity to travel and learn about so many different things in the world, and this production is my way of communicating my feelings and experiences throughout. Hope you enjoy!” |
IES Abroad Film Course Production
“In this documentary, we explore the feeling of ’FOMO’, or fear of missing out, as it affects students studying abroad. So many of us feel FOMO, but don't really discuss it with each other. We tried to get to the bottom of this feeling, and how to best overcome it.” |
“A man (José Galvis) witnesses a murder, and, fearing incrimination, hesitates to report what he witnessed. After years of silence, he confronts the widow of the murder victim, only to be confronted by a gruesome realization.” |
VOTE NOW
Voting on the finalist’s films went live on IES Abroad’s Facebook page on August 24th, and will close August 31, 2016, at 12 p.m. CDT. The Study Abroad Film Festival grand prize winner will receive an additional $1,000 on top of his/her $500 finalist award, and receive an invitation to screen his/her film at the IES Abroad Annual Conference in Chicago this October.
