Participation in the IES Abroad Study Abroad Film Festival (hereinafter referred to as “Film Festival”) is free. Submitting a film to the Film Festival constitutes acceptance of these Terms and Conditions and all IES Abroad Film Festival rules, requirements and deadlines. A participant’s entry may be deemed void, in IES Abroad’s sole discretion, if it does not comply with these Terms and Conditions and all Film Festival rules, requirements or deadlines.
The Film Festival is open to current IES Abroad and IES Internships students, and recent alumni of IES Abroad and IES Internships. IES Abroad and IES Internships alumni must have attended an IES Abroad or IES Internships program starting on or after January 1, 2021 in order to qualify for entry. Entrants may submit up to three (3) films and must complete a separate entry form for each film. To be eligible, all film submissions must be directed by the participant, not exceed the time limits for each category, be completed on or after January 1, 2021 and include English sub-titles if the film is not in the English language. Participants who submitted films for a prior IES Abroad Film Festival are eligible to participate again, but cannot submit the same film. The categories and corresponding time limits are: (1) Film-Class Produced (no time limit); and (2) Independently Produced: 10 Minutes.
The submission period for the Film Festival commences on October 3, 2022 and ends on July 24, 2023. All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. CDT on July 24, 2023. Student and Alumni participants must submit films through the online submission form, must meet all Film Festival requirements and must complete the Waiver and Release Form, at the time of entry. All Directors listed on the online submission form are required to each sign their own Waiver and Release Form. Additional participants involved in making a film must be named in the online submission form, including without limitation the original scriptwriters and cast members. IES Abroad’s Chicago staff will select Semi-Finalists and will submit the Semi-Finalists to the jury. Semi-Finalists will be notified of their selection on or before July 28, 2023. The jury will rank each film based on the following criteria: (1) telling a compelling story that captures the spirit of study abroad; (2) production quality; (3) entertainment value; and (4) originality.
Film Finalists (those with the highest scores, regardless of category) will be selected based on the jury rankings and will be notified by email of their nomination on or before August 30, 2023. The Finalists’ films will be shared on www.IESabroad.org and will be made public for online voting starting on September 20, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. CDT. Voting will close at 11:59 a.m. CDT on October 4, 2023. The film with the most votes at the close of voting will be the Film Festival Grand Prize Winner (“Winner”). If a selected Finalist or Winner cannot be contacted within seven (7) calendar days of an initial notification or within three (3) calendar days of any further communication by IES Abroad, IES Abroad reserves the right to select an alternate Finalist or Winner.
Each Film Finalist will receive a $500 USD cash prize per film and the Winner will be awarded an additional $1,000 USD cash prize per film. In the event that there are multiple Directors for a film that is selected as a Film Finalist and/or is the Winner, the cash prize for that film will be divided equally among the Directors. For each Film Finalist, one (1) Director will also receive an all-expenses paid trip to Chicago to attend IES Abroad’s Film Festival Event in Chicago, Illinois including round-trip airfare, two nights lodging, meals, and transportation. Finalists must submit receipts to IES Abroad for reimbursement for meals and transportation. In the event there are multiple Directors for a film, the Directors must select one (1) Director to accept the all-expenses paid trip to Chicago and notify IES Abroad in writing of the selection. IES Abroad will announce the Winner during the 2023 Film Festival award ceremony on October 12, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.
Cash prizes will be mailed to the Finalists and the Winner within thirty (30) days after the Winner is announced or in person at the Film Festival, provided the Winner and Finalists are present. The winning student(s) and/or alumni will be responsible for all applicable taxes, fees or other charges in relation to receipt of the prize(s) and travel stipend, if applicable. IES Abroad shall have no responsibility for the taxes, fees or other costs or charges of participants arising out of or related to the Film Festival.
Each Film Finalist will also receive assistance with film promotion outreach to local and relevant news outlets. In the event there are multiple Directors for a film, IES Abroad will provide assistance with film promotion outreach for up to three Directors on a film. The Directors must select which three individuals will participate in film promotion and notify IES Abroad in writing.
IES Abroad reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions in its sole discretion at any time. These Terms and Conditions were last updated October 2, 2023.
