Alumni Highlights

September 2026 – Jillian Sobrino ’21

jillian Sobrino is our September 2026 Alumni Highlight!

Shepherd University alumna Jillian Sobrino ’21 has quickly established herself as an emerging voice in the film industry as a director, writer, editor, and post-production professional. After earning her degree in Communications/New Media, she went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts in Film from the New York School of Visual Arts. Now based in New York City, Jillian works full time in post-production while continuing to develop and direct her own independent film projects.

As a Filipino-American storyteller, Jillian brings a unique perspective to her work, creating films that explore complex themes of identity, relationships, and the human experience. Her 2023 short film, Killing Myself, premiered at the Academy Award-qualifying Out On Film Festival before streaming globally on TFC, helping introduce her work to audiences around the world. Most recently, she completed This Land Is Cursed, a dramatic short film set in West Virginia, and is currently developing her first horror feature film.

In addition to her filmmaking career, Jillian has served as a festival judge and guest speaker for the School of Visual Arts, sharing her expertise with aspiring creatives. In this Alumni Highlight interview, Jillian reflects on her journey from Shepherd student to professional filmmaker, discusses the influences that shaped her career, shares insights into her latest projects, and offers advice for current students and recent graduates as they begin their own professional journeys.

You can check out more about Jillian’s film projects on her website and her YouTube Channel.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Katie Swayne: Hi everybody, it’s Katie Swayne, Director of Alumni Affairs. We are here with our next Alumni Highlight for September, Jillian (Sobrino), and of course, our, Alumni Association Board President, Randy Friend. So, Randy, I will let you take it away to start the interview with Jillian.

Randy Friend: Yeah, thanks, Katie, and hello, everybody. Welcome back for…I think we’re up to our, I don’t know, we’re up to a number of these. I can’t even remember the number at this point, right? But that’s kind of what makes it super exciting. So, obviously, we have Jillian (Sobrino) here today. I’m going to turn it over to her, let her do a quick introduction, then we’re going to get right into our interview today. But Jillian, tell us about you. Give us a little background!

Jillian Sobrino: Yeah, hey, so I graduated from Shepherd back in 2021. I majored in Communications and New Media. Right after graduating from Shepherd, I decided to move to New York and get my Master’s in film directing at the School of Visual Arts, and now I’m still here, based in New York City, working in film and commercial.

Randy Friend: That’s awesome. So, let’s just start there, right? So, okay, you’re at the School of Visual Arts, you’re doing your thing there. How did you get to a point where you were doing media and comm. to now kind of transition to that experience. Was that kind of the plan all along, or was that something that came over time? Give us a little sense of how you got to that point.

Jillian Sobrino: Yeah, actually, so my journey with Shepherd is actually really sporadic. I actually started preparing for auditions to major in piano at Shepherd when I was in high school. And then before actually starting at Shepherd, I decided that I actually didn’t want to do that anymore, and I decided to major in computer science, And so I majored in computer science for about a year and a half at Shepherd until about halfway through my sophomore year. And then I had switched over to Comm and New Media, and with Comm and New Media, the goal there was always to be in film. So once I had switched my major, that was always the goal. Film was always the goal, but before that, it wasn’t always the goal.

Randy Friend: Cool! So, alright, so now I’m, like, immediately intrigued. Okay, so walk me through, like, what was it that kicked it off? You were like, okay, I’m not doing music, right? Totally understand that. Former music major and changed myself, so I get it, right? And then, going to computer science, too. Like, what was the desire, the pull to get out of computer science into this? Was there, like, a moment, or was there, like, a combination of things? Yeah, walk me through.

Jillian Sobrino: Yeah, yeah, I think it was a combination of things. I think, like, I personally was going to see it through until the end, and that was going to be what I left Shepherd with, a degree in computer science. But, I don’t think I would have ever switched majors unless, like, if it weren’t for my dad. One day I was walking out of the house, I think I was going to go shoot a video with my friends or something, and I’m not sure what possessed him to have this conversation with me at that point in time, but he said “I know you don’t like computer science; I can see it all over your face that it’s not your thing, but every day, you’re going out and you’re making a video, you’re making some sort of film with your friends I that what you want?” If… and, like. Of course it was what I wanted, but I wasn’t going to do that as you know, I’m the first person in my family to go to college. My parents came here from the Philippines. I think, like, back in the 80s, and of course, you know, like, there is an expectation.

Randy Friend: There will be a little bit of cultural expectation.

Jillian Sobrino: Yeah, there’s a lot of cultural expectation to do something that will, like, seemingly make you a lot of money, you know? You have to be successful in that way. And of course, I was kind of going down that road, and I was going to do it regardless of whether I wanted to or not, you know, because there was that expectation, at least in my mind, and so when he told me that, I was like, is this my permission for me to, like, really lean into it.

Randy Friend: Right?

Jillian Sobrino: And I guess that sort of was the push I needed to really, like, dive in and go into film and, like, really, really put everything I had into it.

Randy Friend: That is awesome. So that did have to be, like, a moment of am I getting punked right now?

Jillian Sobrino: Yeah. It really was.

Randy Friend: Right? You know. That’s awesome, I love that. Okay, so you get that encouragement, if I’m doing my math correctly, you’re like, halfway through your sophomore year, you decided to do this. What was it like for you, kind of, embarking on that? I mean, obviously, you were doing this outside of the, kind of, the structure, if you will, of computer science. So did it feel super natural? Like, you were like, oh, yes, clearly this is the passion and the thing that I’ve wanted to do. Did you start to have that right away, or was it kind of something that kind of took time?

Jillian Sobrino: No, I felt it right away, I think. Like, as soon as I had, you know, gone to my counselor and made sure everything was in place, and I switched my major for sure, like, I felt this huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and I felt like I could really, like, thrive in that space. So yeah, it was a pretty immediate feeling for me.

Randy Friend: Okay, very cool. So you’re doing, you know, these different projects and things while you’re at Shepherd, you finish up. Was the plan, even before you graduated, was like, look, I’m going to New York, obviously there’s different locations now, especially with a lot of different film companies being in many different areas across the country. Was it always the plan, then, to go to the School of Visual Arts, or did that just end up being one place that you kind of leaned towards?

Jillian Sobrino: Yeah, so it wasn’t. I looked at so many different schools, and, you know, when I was taking the film courses at Shepherd, I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted to do with film. I think there’s so many different avenues, you know, you could be on camera, you could be in sound, and so I had done so much research on so many different programs, and ultimately, I landed on the School of Visual Arts because they offer a one-year master’s program in film directing. Film directing was something I had thought about, and I guess, like, I was already doing at Shepherd, but it just seemed like, this was the right path for me. So that’s how I sort of end up at School of Visual Arts, and actually, the head of the department was someone whose work I had already been familiar with and kind of grew up watching as a kid, so it was sort the perfect choice for me, at the end of the day, yeah.

Randy Friend: Oh, very cool. So, okay, so you do that, you’re heading off to New York, you’re living, you know, the Manhattan lifestyle at this point, right? You’re doing that. Yeah. And then you finish your one year, and then all of a sudden you’re, like, actually creating different films and things like that. So, I’d love to hear more about the creative work you’ve done, right? Because I know you have a couple things out there. I think your latest project is, what, This Land is Cursed? It’s kind of a short film. How has that transition been, of now taking this passion and this creative outlet to a career, right? Because that can sometimes be a difficult transition.

Jillian Sobrino: Yeah, yeah, it is, especially with film, you know, there’s so many people doing it here, but it’s also what makes it so perfect to be in New York and be in the film space, but…with my… I guess I’ll start from when I was in SVA, at School of Visual Arts, you know, the program was to make my thesis, and that was expected to be, like…there was an expectation that that would go through a festival run, this had to look a certain way. Like, yes, it was technically a student short, but that was not the expectation in terms of visuals and work in general, so there, there was definitely a high standard when leaving the School of Visual Arts. And so my thesis film that I made there actually ended up premiering and going to a couple different, Academy qualifying festivals, and then ended up streaming globally on this channel called the Filipino Channel, which is a channel my family and I love to watch. This is something I grew up watching, and that was kind of the ultimate goal, because I was like, you know, my family overseas needs to see this, and so, like, it kind of was, like, a very full-circle moment.

Randy Friend: Oh, that’s so cool.

Jillian Sobrino: Yeah, yeah, it was great. And then, ever since then, I, you know, finally was…I don’t have my contract with their streaming anymore, so I decided to post it on YouTube, actually, just this past October, last October. And that has garnered over, like, 600,000 views since then, so it’s kind of had its own little life, even though I kind of have been removed from it for some time now. With This Land is Cursed, I actually decided to come back to West Virginia for that film, specifically, with my resources in New York City. And that was great. I felt like, you know, I think… I mean, I grew up in West Virginia, you know, I was born in Reston, but I…grew up West Virginia, went to school there, even throughout college, and I think…there are a lot of stories coming out of West Virginia that aren’t necessarily my story or for people like me. It was a great reclaiming of West Virginia and how I viewed it, and I think it just opened up this world of, like how I view West Virginia, how my friends view West Virginia, and it was very bittersweet. It was really cool to be able to bring what knowledge I had learned in New York, working with a ton of professionals and, you know, not having, like, a super huge film community in West Virginia back then. Obviously, now it’s very, very different. I think there is a growing and thriving film community in West Virginia. But it was, yeah, 100%, and getting to bring… a crew from New York to West Virginia was really, really special.

Randy Friend: That’s super cool. So just so folks that were watching, the first film that you were referring to, the one that I believe you said was on the Filipino channel, that was titled Killing Myself, correct?

Jillian Sobrino: Yes.

Randy Friend: Okay, very, very cool. That’s awesome. So, folks, if you want to catch it, it’s out there. Maybe we’ll even be able to drop a link in there as part of this.

Jillian Sobrino: Sure.

Randy Friend: You know, you’re doing all those things, hit me with some knowledge here, alright? So, you’re talking about the growing film community in West Virginia. Can you speak a little bit more to that? Because that is not something that I’m familiar with at all, so…

Jillian Sobrino: Yes, actually, I can. So, when I was making This Land is Cursed, I was super connected with the West Virginia Film Office, led by Dave Lavender. The West Virginia Film Office used to exist back in the day, but because of the lack of work, the lack of projects being shot in West Virginia, they closed, unfortunately, so they newly reopened about a couple years ago, and West Virginia actually has a tax incentive for people shooting films in the state. I want to say, don’t quote me on this, but I think it’s, like, 31% is the tax credit you get if you shoot a feature there. We actually also, we, as in West Virginia actually offer funds, too, for projects I want to shoot in West Virginia, feature films specifically. So… and they actually have their own Rolodex of a bunch of people who just want to get experience in the film industry, who have been working in the film industry, who are based in West Virginia. And it is… it is a wonderful community, and it is growing.

Randy Friend: I love how you still have that connection, right? Like, you know, bringing it back to, as you said, to where you grew up, or even some may even say your roots as an example for that, right? Like, that is… that is awesome. So, are you doing, then, any…I guess, connections or things like that with that community outside of your film? Like, it seems like you’re very… there’s a level of passion there, too, of kind of promoting that. Is there other things that we should kind of know about from a promotion standpoint?

Jillian Sobrino: From a promotion standpoint, I’m not quite sure. I mean, like, the tax credit is a huge, huge takeaway from…from West Virginia, and it’s such a great thing that they offer, because not many states offer it, and they… obviously, that percentage is… is great. But I think…I mean, I’m not personally working with them, I just believe in what they do so much, and what they do for upcoming filmmakers in West Virginia, because I think it’s something I would have wanted when I was exploring film, living there. It’s great that people who now maybe want to go into film can have that there. And West Virginia is such a gorgeous state, it’s a beautiful state to shoot in. Honestly, the tax credit, it’s convincing, but, I mean, I think just going to West Virginia is convincing enough. And I think that being able to have these resources for filmmakers there, especially because, you know, again, we’re not…there isn’t a ton of funding for film. There’s just not… it’s a very, like, communal effort, and a lot of these people who are working with Film Office, who are a part of their Rolodex, you know, they do a lot of this work for free because they love it, and they love film. It’s really just for the love of the game. So I think that’s what’s so special about the, the film community in West Virginia specifically. It’s so, so tight-knit, and there’s, you know it’s very authentic, You know, no one is really asking for much out of anybody except just to, like, be a part of something great.

Randy Friend: Yeah, that’s awesome. Man, very cool. Now, do I also have it correct that in addition to all this work that you’re doing, is it true that you’re also a creative director as well? Is that a true story?

Jillian Sobrino: I’m a… so I’m a… I’m a creative editor and manager, so I actually work full-time working in commercial editing. I work in post-production full-time, which is very different than directing, you know, but I think, like. those two things, like, being able to work in post full-time has helped me so much in my directing work, because I’m always looking at, like, the big picture. So I’m, like, seeing things basically as a finished product before I even get started. But yeah, no, I work… I work full-time in commercial editing. I lead a team of video editors, and yeah. It’s, it’s, it’s quite a hefty, a hefty job to do both, but it is, it is so fun.

Randy Friend: I love how you just said, like, it does give you kind of that new, whether you call it appreciation, or new high, and things like that. And so, with that, one thing that I would love to just hear, being in that role that you’re in now, how is AI either enhancing that experience, or, you know, you hear a lot of, like, how AI is taking jobs, and there’s probably some level to that as well, I’m certain, right? But I would think there’s also some enhancement opportunities. I would just love your view on that, you know, being in the world that you’re in.

Jillian Sobrino: I mean, I personally don’t know how much I can speak on AI, because it doesn’t… at least in the roles that I’ve been doing, it’s… I don’t use it as a part of my workflow, personally. It’s not something that I necessarily agree with in the film specifically either, like, I think, you know, I don’t think any, any creative working in this industry really needs AI to help them be creative, you know, that’s… that’s our job. And, so yeah, I can’t really speak on it from my… from my personal experience, because I am not using AI.

Randy Friend: And that’s actually perfectly fine, right? Like, I think that’s the biggest argument, right? You hear so many people talking about, it’s going to take over jobs and things like that. It’s like, yeah, but when you think about it from a creative standpoint, like, you can’t teach something to program creativity, right?

Jillian Sobrino: Yeah, it will never be the same.

Randy Friend: Correct, right? And so, no, I love hearing your view on that, because I think, and where I’ll actually bring this to, this will actually make sense in a moment here. When I think about folks who are in those types of careers, right, and to your point, right, a little bit of cultural, you know, and then it’s not only just cultural for your background, but also you think about folks that are in the state of West Virginia saying, like, “oh, a creative arts degree or something like that, like, that’s something that’s not going to take you anywhere,” which is not necessarily true when we kind of use this other context, right? And so bringing that idea full circle, for somebody who’s interested in creative arts, whether it’s visual arts or, you know, painting or things like that. For somebody who’s been through it like you, what kind of advice would you give to those folks that are either in, you know, at Shepherd now, or considering not only Shepherd, but this type of degree, what would you… I’ll even replay it like this. What would you have said to Jillian Sobrino when she was a freshman in college, based on what you know now? I guess is a great way to put it.

Jillian Sobrino: I guess… Don’t ask for permission to start.

Randy Friend: Yeah.

Jillian Sobrino: Otherwise, it’s never going to happen.

Randy Friend: Yeah.

Jillian Sobrino: Like, you need to go out, and you need to do the thing, and yes, it’s going… that’s a lot easier said than done, but you need to figure it out, you know, like, if you want something bad enough, you’re going to do it. Your mind, your body, your soul is going to do it, and no one has ever told me, go make a film. You know, like, go do this, go do that. Like, this is all something I had to really just tell myself I had to do it, and to push forward, because it’s… really, it’s not going to happen unless… unless I’m deciding to do it.

Randy Friend: Yeah.

Jillian Sobrino: Don’t ask for permission to start.

Randy Friend: Yeah, I love that. Just do the thing. I think that that’s, like, a great, great synopsis, right? Just do the thing. Okay, so we always like to wrap these things up, right? What, what should we tell the people? What is… what’s Jillian got going on? What things outside of your latest project? What future projects do you have? That, we should definitely be talking about as we wrap up.

Jillian Sobrino: Yeah, so, This Land is Cursed is, you know, wrapped up, it’s being submitted to festivals right now, so, you know, hopefully there’ll be a showing near you guys sometime soon, hopefully a showing. Yeah, hopefully a showing in, in West Virginia in general, but you know, it’s coming to a city near you in the next year or so, but, I am currently working on, like, a horror feature, so… you know, keep that in mind, that’s… I’m super, super excited for that, and obviously, you know, I think This Land Is Cursed still has a whole life ahead of it, it’s just getting started,

Randy Friend: Love it.

Jillian Sobrino: And, you know, we’ll see where that goes, too. I have plans for that as well, but, you know, there’s a lot of projects in the making here, and I’m really, really excited to share it with everybody.

Randy Friend: Awesome. Well, you know, one thing, I’m going to throw this out there, look, if you want to do some type of a viewing opportunity back here at your alma mater. If you’re back this way, maybe we can make something happen. That would be super fun, I think, for everybody involved, bringing you back. We’d love that! Yeah. So, let’s offline, we’ll figure that out, right? Keep talking about that, because I think that would be. Very cool. Well, look, we appreciate your time. You know, obviously we have your website and some other stuff out there we need to get promoted. Thank you so much. I’m very excited. I’ve enjoyed this conversation immensely, so this is super cool to kind of hear about your journey. And for those who are watching, look, if you know somebody else whose journey for a Shepherd alum that we should promote and talk about, please let myself or Katie know. Otherwise, follow us on all the socials. You know my pitch at this point. We love having you out there, and look for stuff this fall, because we have a lot of things from alumni events happening. So follow the page, all that good stuff. Besides that, Jillian, thank you so much. Katie, as always, thanks for running this, and we’ll see you guys next time.

Katie Swayne: Thank you!

Jillian Sobrino: Thank you, guys!

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