From Trinity to Full Frame Film Festival

An alum talks about how her experiences led her to bringing global stories to Durham

A woman standing in front of the Carolina Theater. the Marquee says "Full Frame Documentary Film Festival"
Caption: Bel Destefani stands in front of the historic Carolina Theatre in 2019. In her current role with Full Frame, Destefani works closely with the theater, which serves as a primary venue for festival film screenings. (Photo courtesy of Bel Destefani)

This is a summary of a story originally on Trinity College of Arts and Sciences.

During Full Frame week in downtown Durham, 2009 Trinity alumna Belem Destefani is at the center of the action — quietly ensuring that one of the nation’s most respected documentary film festivals runs smoothly. Since 2024, Destefani has served as operations director for the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, overseeing the behind‑the‑scenes logistics that audiences rarely see but would immediately notice if something went wrong. Her work spans box office operations, venue and hotel coordination, technical production, and the management of seasonal staff and more than 200 volunteers.

“I like to think of my role as putting everything together,” she says. “Giving people the tools they need, then trusting them to do what they do best.” 

Destefani’s ability to balance people, systems, and creativity traces back to her Trinity College of Arts & Sciences education. Arriving at Duke with plans to pursue premed, she instead embraced the freedom of a liberal arts education, majoring in English with minors in political science and psychology. Study‑abroad experiences in London and Florence further shaped her worldview and curiosity.

A late‑career film studies course sparked her interest in documentary storytelling, leading to an internship at Full Frame, graduate study at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and more than a decade working in nonprofit arts organizations and higher education in New York. Today, Destefani’s full‑circle return to Full Frame helps bring global stories to Durham, making the festival both internationally respected and deeply rooted in community.

“We’re not trying to be flashy,” she says. “We want people to feel welcome, to be part of the conversation.” 

That community focus, Destefani believes, is what makes Full Frame special, and what keeps her rooted in Durham. “It’s global storytelling with local impact,” she says. “That’s what makes the work meaningful.” 

To read more of Destefani’s story, go to Trinity College of Arts and Sciences.