10th Annual Study Abroad Film Festival

This October,  we invite you to join our international community of alumni and friends to celebrate the power of student storytelling through film at our 10th annual Study Abroad Film Festival!

Over the past eight years, 600+ student films have put us on the edge of our seats, demonstrating the transformative power of study abroad and the creative abilities of IES Abroad students. 

Join us on October 17, 2024 for a screening of our Finalist films, a live announcement of the Grand Prize Winner, and a fun post-event reception where you'll get the chance to meet the student filmmakers and mingle with study abroad lovers from around the country and world! 

Date: Thursday, October 17th, 2024

Location: Venue SIX10
610 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605

Time: TBD

Dress code: Authentically you!

Last year we rolled out the red carpet for our Film Festival at VenueSIX10 in downtown Chicago on Thursday, October 12th—all in benefit of IES Abroad scholarships.

Sami Stidham (University of Wisconsin Madison | IES Abroad Barcelona, Spring 2023) took home the Grand Prize for the 9th annual Study Abroad Film Festival for her film "Take the Goggles Off."

The award was presented by Film Festival host, Patrick Jager, an IES Abroad Vienna alum, Study Abroad Film Festival Juror, and an award-winning media executive who led the development and production team behind such hits as A&E “Biography”, VH1 “Behind the Music,” and the creator of HGTVs mega hit “Fixer Upper.”

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Founded in 2014, the IES Abroad Study Abroad Film Festival was the first student-focused study abroad film festival in the industry. Celebrating its ninth anniversary in 2023, the IES Abroad Film Festival has provided students a platform to voice their global journey through their own words and video footage, capturing unique views into their life-changing study abroad experiences – showing what the experience meant to them and how it redefined their world. 

Originally, the entire Film Festival was hosted as on-demand content on Facebook. In 2017 it was hosted as a live event for the first time at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and emceed by Kate Flannery – best known for her 9 seasons as Meredith, on NBC’s hit show, The Office. The 2018 and 2019 Festivals were hosted by Richard Roeper, best known as the film critic for The Chicago Sun-Times and for his 10 years as co-host of the television series, “At The Movies with Roger Ebert.”

The Film Festival event has raised more than $100,000 for IES Abroad Scholarships and more than 160+ colleges and universities have been represented through 500+ student film submissions!