--- title: "From JCU Internship to Film Festival: A Student's Experience With So Fare Films" description: Discover how John Cabot University student Ximena Coster turned an internship with So Fare Films into hands-on experience at the Religion Today Film Festival in Trento. image: https://blog.johncabot.edu/hubfs/IMG_0220.jpeg --- [![JCULogo1](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/JCULogo1.png?width=300&height=80&name=JCULogo1.png "JCULogo1")](https://blog.johncabot.edu/blog?hsLang=en) [![JCULogo2](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/JCULogo2.png?width=300&height=82&name=JCULogo2.png "JCULogo2")](https://blog.johncabot.edu/blog?hsLang=en) - [Undergraduate](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/undergraduate) - [Graduate](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/graduate) - [Study Abroad](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/study-abroad) - [Italian](https://blog.johncabot.edu/it/blog) - [Website](https://www.johncabot.edu/) - Filter By Topics - Scegli Il Topic - [All](https://blog.johncabot.edu) - [Academics](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/academics) - 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[Marketing](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/marketing) - [Mathematics](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/mathematics) - [Parent Perspective](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/parent-perspective) - [Political Science](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/political-science) - [Professor Spotlight](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/professor-spotlight) - [Psychological Science](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/psychological-science) - [Rome](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/rome) - [Safety](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/safety) - [Student Life](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/student-life) - [Student Spotlight](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/student-spotlight) - [Study Abroad](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/study-abroad) - [Study Abroad in Rome](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/study-abroad-in-rome) - [Sustainability](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/sustainability) - [Transfer Students](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/transfer-students) - [Undergraduate](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/undergraduate) - [University in Rome](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/university-in-rome) # From JCU Internship to Film Festival: A Student's Experience With So Fare Films October 9, 2026 SHARE [mailto:?body=https://blog.johncabot.edu/internship-so-far-films-religion-today-film-festival](mailto:?body=https://blog.johncabot.edu/internship-so-far-films-religion-today-film-festival) ![JCU Student Internship With So Fare Films](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hubfs/IMG_0220.jpeg) SHARE [mailto:?body=https://blog.johncabot.edu/internship-so-far-films-religion-today-film-festival](mailto:?body=https://blog.johncabot.edu/internship-so-far-films-religion-today-film-festival) ![Ximena Coster](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hubfs/Ximena-Coster.png) Written By [Ximena Coster](https://blog.johncabot.edu/author/ximena-coster) Topic [Undergraduate](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/undergraduate), [Student Spotlight](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/student-spotlight), [Career Services](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/career-services) What can an internship look like when you combine what you're learning at university with the opportunity to work on real projects? For [John Cabot University](https://www.johncabot.edu/) students, internships can be a chance to gain hands-on experience, explore potential career paths, and build professional connections while still studying. Through JCU's [Center for Career Services](https://www.johncabot.edu/career-services/), students can access opportunities to connect their academic interests with professional experiences. For students interested in communications, media, storytelling, and the creative industries, these experiences can offer a closer look at what it takes to bring ideas and projects to life beyond the classroom. [So Fare Films](https://www.sofarefilms.com/) is one example of a creative organization connected to the JCU community. Founded by [JCU Professor Jenn Lindsay](https://www.johncabot.edu/directory/jenn-lindsay), the independent production house grew from the JCU community and has developed into a professional-formation network for emerging media makers, including JCU students. For JCU Communications student Ximena Coster, an internship with So Fare Films gave her the opportunity to become part of that community and experience the world of documentary filmmaking from a new perspective. In September 2026, Ximena and fellow So Fare Films interns traveled from Rome to Trento for the Religion Today Film Festival, where the team's documentary [*Animananda*](https://www.sofarefilms.com/animananda) was screened and the interns experienced firsthand what happens when a film moves beyond production and into a festival setting. Ximena shares what she and her fellow interns discovered during their time at the festival - from meeting filmmakers and audiences to seeing Animanandaon the big screen. ## **Beyond the Screen: So Fare Films at Religion Today Film Festival 2026** *This September, the So Fare Films team traveled from Rome to Trento for the 2026 Religion Today Film Festival.* Over several days, team members were able to attend screenings, Q&As, workshops, cultural events, and social gatherings while meeting filmmakers, actors, festival organizers, and audiences from different backgrounds. For the So Fare Films interns, Nathan Flores, Oleksandra “Sasha” Kozlova, Matrena Uvarova, and Catalina Perez Fernandez, the trip was also an opportunity to experience what happens around a film once it leaves the hands of its creators and enters a festival setting. That became particularly meaningful when [*Animananda*](https://www.sofarefilms.com/animananda), a So Fare Films documentary, premiered at the festival. ![animananda premiere](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/animananda%20premiere.jpeg?width=770&height=519&name=animananda%20premiere.jpeg) ### Religion Today Film Festival Held in the northern Italian city of Trento, the Religion Today Film Festival aimed to bring together cinema, religion, culture, and questions of identity and human experience. Alongside its film screenings, the festival organized educational activities and events designed to encourage discussion between audiences, filmmakers, and the wider community. For festival director Andrea Morghen, that educational role has been central to Religion Today for years. Andrea first became involved with the festival as a volunteer in 2009, while writing his thesis on interreligious dialogue and concrete experiences of dialogue in Trentino-Alto Adige. His interest in the festival came from a broader curiosity about the role religion can play in responding to contemporary challenges. Today, he sees Religion Today as an important space for younger generations. “We need to prepare them for an increasingly interconnected and multicultural world,” Andrea explained, “where differences should be understood as a source of richness rather than as walls between people.” That idea was visible throughout the festival, particularly in the range of perspectives presented through the films. For Catalina, one of the most valuable aspects was seeing how differently people can understand and express religion. The festival's location also contributed to this exchange. Trento is a relatively small city, but the festival brought together filmmakers and visitors from different parts of the world. Catalina felt that hosting an international cultural event allowed Trento to become better known while highlighting its commitment to diversity and cultural expression. Sasha also found the city itself contributed to the festival atmosphere. Its size made it feel welcoming and intimate, creating opportunities to meet people and share experiences more easily than might happen at a much larger event. ![animananda crew](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/animananda%20crew.jpeg?width=770&height=590&name=animananda%20crew.jpeg) ### Beyond the Screen Although the films were at the center of the festival, some of the most memorable experiences for the So Fare Films team happened around them. For Catalina, watching documentaries with their directors and participating in the following Q&As provided a different way of understanding the films. “It allowed me to not simply view their films but also further understand them through conversations,” she explained. Those conversations were one of the things that made the festival feel different from simply watching a film online. Meeting the people behind the films created opportunities to ask questions, hear about their experiences, and understand the ideas that shaped their work. The festival also included events outside the traditional screening format. A fashion show, aperitivo, and a silent disco brought a more social atmosphere to the program. Matrena's favorite activity was the fashion show, which she described as “cozy and fun” rather than overly formal, while Nathan particularly enjoyed the aperitivo. For Andrea, these kinds of events were also part of an effort to make the festival more accessible to younger audiences. This year, Religion Today reached more than 2,000 students through its educational activities, while more than 1,000 people attended screenings and events in cinemas and theatres. The combination of formal screenings and informal encounters contributed to what Matrena described as feeling “like being part of a big family.” Even though many filmmakers were technically competing against one another, she felt that there was still a strong sense of mutual support. That sense of community became especially clear during the premiere of *Animananda*. ![SFF team debrief](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/SFF%20team%20debrief.jpg?width=770&height=578&name=SFF%20team%20debrief.jpg) ### Bringing *Animananda* to Trento For So Fare Films, one of the defining moments of the festival was seeing *Animananda* projected in a cinema. After working on the documentary, watching it as an audience member created a completely different experience. “I loved watching *Animananda* being screened as it allowed us to share our work directly with an audience,” Catalina said. “I never imagined to see a project I had worked on in such a setting.” Sasha had a similar reaction, describing the first moment of seeing the team's work on the big screen as something that “really felt like some kind of magic.” The audience itself made the screening particularly memorable. Nathan was struck by the fact that the cinema was full and that many of the audience members were young people. “I loved how we had a full house audience of mostly young people for a film also made by young people,” he said. For Nathan, the screening showed that a film does not need the most expensive equipment to connect with an audience. What mattered was the “heart and passion” behind the project. The premiere also brought the So Fare Films team together. Matrena remembered the group cheering when Jenn came onto the stage, with many of the people who had worked on *Animananda* there to support the film. For a project that had previously existed largely between the production team and their screens, the premiere marked a shift. The film now had an audience of its own. ![IMG\_0222](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_0222.jpeg?width=770&height=500&name=IMG_0222.jpeg) ### Why Film Festivals Still Matter That experience also raised a broader question: what does a film festival offer that watching a film online cannot? For Sasha, one answer is visibility. Festivals can be particularly important for smaller filmmakers, giving them an opportunity to “support each other and make their works visible.” Matrena sees the value in the community surrounding the films. “The cinema world is not just the final product,” she explained. Behind every film are the people who work together to make it, often without knowing exactly where the project will lead. For her, smaller festivals like Religion Today are “a symbol of love towards the art” and provide a place where filmmakers can meet, share their work, and spend time immersed in cinema. Nathan focused on the human connection that comes with being physically present. “There is a different energy when things are in person,” he said. When a film is watched online, it can be easy to separate the finished product from the people who created it. At a festival, those people are in the room. Audiences can ask them questions, hear their stories, and see their excitement about their work. The festival therefore becomes more than a way of distributing films. It becomes a meeting point for the people who make, watch, and discuss them. ![animananda-press](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/animananda-press.jpeg?width=770&height=538&name=animananda-press.jpeg) ### Looking Beyond the Screen Religion Religion Today's focus on encounter and dialogue extends beyond its individual screenings. For Andrea, the festival ultimately represents “a place where cinema can create a space for encounter, reflection and dialogue.” The So Fare Films experience in Trento offered a practical example of that idea. Over the course of the festival, the team encountered films and perspectives from different cultures, spoke with filmmakers and festival organizers, participated in events outside the cinema, and watched a project they had worked on become part of a larger audience experience. And what remained most consistent was the opportunity to meet people. In an industry where films can be created, distributed, and watched almost entirely through digital platforms, Religion Today offered something much harder to reproduce online: a room full of people responding to the same film, conversations that continued after the credits, and filmmakers meeting audiences face-to-face. For So Fare Films, that made the trip to Trento about more than attending a festival. It was an opportunity to experience cinema as a shared process, especially one that continues long after a film has been finished. ![team members with festival badges](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/team%20members%20with%20festival%20badges.jpg?width=770&height=484&name=team%20members%20with%20festival%20badges.jpg) ### From Internship Experience to Professional Growth Ximena's experience with So Fare Films shows how an internship can take learning beyond the classroom and place students inside the creative and professional environments they may one day want to pursue. Experiences like these can help students build more than technical or professional skills. They can also help students understand how creative industries work, make connections with people working in the field, and discover what kinds of projects and environments inspire them. For JCU students, opportunities through the Center for Career Services can be an important part of exploring those possibilities while still at university. Whether an internship leads to a career in media, communications, film, or another field, hands-on experience can help students turn their academic interests into experiences that shape what comes next. ### FAQs About Internships at JCU How can JCU students find internship opportunities? JCU's Center for Career Services supports students in exploring internship and career opportunities and connecting their academic interests with professional experiences. Can JCU students complete internships while studying? Yes. Internships can give students the opportunity to gain practical experience related to their interests while completing their university studies. What can students gain from an internship? Internships can help students develop professional skills, build connections, explore potential career paths, and apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world settings. Can JCU students intern in creative fields? Students with interests in areas such as communications, media, marketing, design, and storytelling can explore internship opportunities that align with their academic and professional goals. How does Career Services support JCU students? JCU's Center for Career Services provides resources and guidance to help students explore career opportunities, develop professionally, and connect their university experience with their future goals. --- Learn more about the [Center for Career Services](https://www.johncabot.edu/career-services/) at John Cabot University or contact [careerservices@johncabot.edu](mailto:careerservices@johncabot.edu)[mailto:directexchange@johncabot.edu](mailto:directexchange@johncabot.edu)[mailto:directexchange@johncabot.edu](mailto:directexchange@johncabot.edu)for more information.  [Previous Post](https://blog.johncabot.edu/spring-vs-fall-university-start?hsLang=en) [View all posts](https://blog.johncabot.edu) ### Subscribe Here! ### Recommended Reading [Undergraduate](https://blog.johncabot.edu/topic/undergraduate?hsLang=en) [Student Spotlight](https://blog.johncabot.edu/topic/student-spotlight?hsLang=en) [Career Services](https://blog.johncabot.edu/topic/career-services?hsLang=en) ##### [Spring vs. Fall University Start: Which Semester Is Right for You?](https://blog.johncabot.edu/spring-vs-fall-university-start?hsLang=en) By [John Cabot University](https://blog.johncabot.edu/author/jcuadmissions) / October 2, 2026 [Continue Reading](https://blog.johncabot.edu/spring-vs-fall-university-start?hsLang=en) [Undergraduate](https://blog.johncabot.edu/topic/undergraduate?hsLang=en) [Student Spotlight](https://blog.johncabot.edu/topic/student-spotlight?hsLang=en) [Career Services](https://blog.johncabot.edu/topic/career-services?hsLang=en) ##### [Application Process Walkthrough: How to Apply to John Cabot University](https://blog.johncabot.edu/how-to-apply-to-john-cabot-university?hsLang=en) By [John Cabot University](https://blog.johncabot.edu/author/jcuadmissions) / October 2, 2026 [Continue Reading](https://blog.johncabot.edu/how-to-apply-to-john-cabot-university?hsLang=en) ### Subscribe and stay up to date ### Subscribe and stay up to date - [Academics](https://www.johncabot.edu/academics/default.aspx) - [Admissions](https://www.johncabot.edu/admissions/default.aspx) - [Student Life](https://www.johncabot.edu/student-life/default.aspx) - [About JCU](https://www.johncabot.edu/about-jcu/default.aspx) - [Studenti Italiani](https://www.johncabot.edu/universita-americana/default.aspx) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/JohnCabotUniversity) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/JohnCabotRome) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/school/john-cabot-university/) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/JohnCabotUniversity) - [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/johncabotuniversity) ![](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/3067823/phone.svg) [+39066819121](tel:+39066819121) ![](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/3067823/email.svg) [admissions@johncabot.edu](mailto:admissions@johncabot.edu) ![](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/3067823/address.svg) Via della Lungara 233 00165 Rome, Italy [©](https://a.cms.omniupdate.com/11/?skin=oucampus&account=john-cabot&site=www&action=de&path=/default.pcf) 2025 John Cabot University ### Request Info »