Shenandoah Film Production Student Completes Wildlife Reserve Internship In Zimbabwe

By Jace Gibson ’26

In summer 2025, film production student Jennah Elganainy ’26 completed an internship with Antelope Park, a wildlife conservation reserve in Gweru, Zimbabwe. She took photos and videos of various animals, such as lions, rhinos and zebras, in their natural habitats. Additionally, she conducted a series of interviews with local volunteers, and shot footage of a local school and orphanage for use in a documentary about the park.

“I learned so much from my internship. Not only did I learn how to edit and record the wildlife, I learned how to adapt to new environments. You can’t direct wildlife, so having to know where to be and catch the moment at the perfect time took a lot of patience,” Elganainy said. “There were many shots that I missed, but so many others that were special. Hearing the stories and experiences from the other volunteers was amazing as well. There were so many lessons and techniques I learned that you just can’t learn from a textbook or a video. It’s information you have to learn from trial and error, or just having fun with your camera settings.”

Elganainy found Antelope Park through her older sister, who was visiting the park at the time. After reaching out to Antelope Park, and after a quick interview, she was invited out for their internship. During her time with Antelope Park, she participated in and documented various community projects with the local school and orphanage systems, and immersed herself in the local culture alongside several other international volunteers. Elganainy’s materials will be used by the conservation program to familiarize new volunteers with the park and its mission, and she is currently working on a longer documentary about the experience.

“Jennah has proven herself to be an excellent documentarian and cinematographer,” said Anthony Brunner, M.F.A., assistant professor and program coordinator for film production. “She really understands the impact this artform can have. I was blown away by her footage from this internship, and can’t wait to see what she makes next.”

“There are so many stories and fun moments I got to experience,” Elganainy said. “No words can describe how it was to be a part of that community and work so closely with the wildlife as well as people from all around the world. There was one time where I was walking near a few elephants, and I was trying to get a closeup shot of their feet hitting the ground as they walked. I had a long lens on my camera, so I wasn’t too close. It took around three tries to get the shot since their steps were out of frame. I had to keep going ahead of them and resetting my camera. By the third shot, a scout that was near me told me not to move too much since one of the male rhinos was behind me watching. I remember thinking how cool it was that I could even be in that position in the first place. Being so close to the wildlife was such a surreal feeling. It’s one thing seeing animals in a zoo and another to be in their land where they are fully wild. The rhino eventually walked away and wasn’t bothered.”

Learn more about Shenandoah University’s film production program at su.edu. For more information about Antelope Park and its conservation efforts, visit antelopepark.co.zw.