On November 1, 2017, IES Abroad announced their Grand Prize winner during the first-ever IES Abroad Study Abroad Film Festival event at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago. The event, which not only celebrated their incredible finalists, also sought to raise awareness for IES Abroad’s scholarship fund. As avid supporters of meaningful travel and our friends at IES Abroad, GoAbroad was honored to sponsor and attend the event.
Courtesy of IES Abroad and Alan Klehr PhotographyThe winning video was a collaborative creative short by Ismael Byers and Kyle Arnold called Solitude: A Companion Abroad. Out of 93 film submissions, their film was chosen as a finalist by a prominent jury of directors, editors, producers and screenwriters, and then voted the winner by popular vote. Smart and inspiring, the film details Ismael and Kyle’s experiences studying abroad in Chile, as well as that of their peers.
GoAbroad CEO Jonathan Miers, who attended the event, commented on how powerful the finalist’s stories were, stating that the event was an incredible experience. GoAbroad and IES Abroad are both proud to support student made media, particularly in video form. Each year, during GoAbroad’s Innovation Awards event, we seek to recognize individuals and organizations that have contributed meaningful innovations to the field of international education. One of our most loved categories is Innovative Student Video, an award that many IES Abroad Film Festival participants have won in past years.
IES Abroad Film Festival 2017 Winners. Courtesy of IES Abroad and Alan Klehr PhotographyWe’re already looking forward to collecting the many inspiring stories and videos for our 2018 Innovation Awards! Keep an eye out for the call for nominations and visit our website to learn more about the Innovation Awards.