IU Bloomington student Jordan Cain recently won the grand prize in the IES Abroad 2016 Annual Film Festival for his short film, "Even in Europe…" Cain's feel-good film features himself dancing, walking, and spending time with friends in numerous locations throughout Europe, all set to the tune of "My Number" by Foals. With a record-breaking 70 films submitted to the film festival, Cain's film was chosen by popular vote from five juried finalists.
Now a senior in the Jacobs School of Music, Cain spent the spring of his Junior year studying abroad on the IES Abroad music program in Vienna, Austria. "I was able to continue my Jacobs School of Music calendar in Vienna, taking a mix of music history and performance classes." By participating in the Vienna program (which IU co-sponsors), Cain received direct IU credit for his coursework abroad, his grades counted toward his cumulative GPA, and all of his regular financial aid applied to his semester in Vienna.
Cain's film was an impressive feat - especially considering that he did not know how to make or edit a movie when he started. Four minutes long, the film features eleven cities and spans four countries: Austria, Italy, Hungary, and Spain. "I had decided to make the film back in December, before I left, and started filming the day I arrived. It took four and a half months to film." He decided to use the song "My Number" for the film because "it had a good beat and I thought it was something I would enjoy listening to month after month while making the film. I still enjoy listening to it from start to end."
The bulk of the film was recorded over spring break, when Cain traveled around Europe with a close friend who was studying in Barcelona. While his travel companion recorded many of Cain's dancing and walking shots, when he wasn't available, "I'd just grab anyone I could" to videotape the shot he wanted.
In addition to the $1,500 grand prize, Cain will be flown to the IES Abroad Annual Conference in Chicago this October to screen his film and speak to the 250+ attendees from colleges and universities around the country.