About
North Star Film Festival is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit film festival created to support local filmmakers, actors, writers, students, and creative teams.
Our goal is to make filmmaking more accessible by giving artists a place to create, screen, and celebrate their work with the community. We believe local stories deserve a stage, and we want to help more people take part in the filmmaking process, whether they are experienced filmmakers or just starting out.
Our Mission
Our mission is to uplift local filmmaking by creating accessible opportunities for filmmakers, actors, students, and creative teams to produce, share, and celebrate independent films.
What We Do
North Star Film Festival provides screening opportunities, filmmaker resources, community events, creative challenges, student support, and recognition for local artists. Through our festival programs, we help connect filmmakers with audiences, collaborators, volunteers, and supporters.
Specifically, each year we host a short film competition. Teams have from June to March to complete a film, 8 minutes or less in the genre of their choice. Every film entered is screened at our general screening event in the spring, complete with a red carpet and networking opportunities. Films are also screened privately by a panel of judges who score the films and nominate films for awards in dozens of categories. We later host a “Best of Fest” screening for the top scoring 15 films, and a one of a kind awards Gala event, where filmmakers and their supporters dress to the nines, share an elegant dinner and possibly accept a trophy for their winning film.
Our Community Impact
We support the local arts community by giving independent filmmakers and performers a platform to be seen. Our festival encourages collaboration, mentorship, creative growth, and community connection. We also aim to make participation more accessible through discounts, resources, and opportunities for students and emerging artists.
Leadership and Board Members
Joey Pham
Authorized Representative
Co-Founder / President & CFO
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Joey Pham is the Co-Founder of North Star Film Festival and serves as an authorized representative of the organization. He helps lead the festival’s planning, filmmaker programs, community outreach, and overall operations. Joey is passionate about creating more opportunities for local filmmakers, actors, students, and creative teams to share their work and connect with the community.
Contact: joey@northstarfestival.com – hello@northstarfestival.com
Kari Layland
Authorized Representative
Co-Founder / Vice President
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Kari Layland is the Co-Founder of North Star Film Festival. She is a filmmaker, actress, and professional portrait photographer with a strong passion for storytelling and supporting creative artists. Through her background in film, photography, and local creative work, Kari helps bring an artist-focused perspective to the festival’s mission of uplifting filmmakers, actors, students, and community storytellers.
Contact: kari@northstarfestival.com – hello@northstarfestival.com
Alex Suszko
Co-Secretary
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Alex Suszko is a filmmaker, producer, director, and videographer with experience in independent film, community media, and video production. Through his work in the Twin Cities creative community, Alex brings a strong understanding of storytelling, production, and local filmmaking. His background helps support North Star Film Festival’s mission of creating more opportunities for filmmakers, actors, students, and creative teams to share their work with the community.
Contact: alex@northstarfestival.com
Sonya Boushek
Co-Secretary
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With a background in psychology, Sonya naturally blends storytelling with human behavior, believing every great film is ultimately about understanding people. As an award-winning director, writer, and producer, she wears many hats on set, including acting as the crew’s chief coffee finder. In her spare time, she enjoys running marathons, which she compares to filmmaking: long hours, emotional endurance, and plenty of snacks.
Contact: sonya@northstarfestival.com
Zach Crotty
Creative Media Committee Chair
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Zach Crotty is a filmmaker known for his passion in the sci-fi and horror genres. Through his work in writing, directing, graphic design and VFX work, Zach likes to contribute to every stage in a film’s development for his projects as well as the projects of others. He is more so adaptable to whatever task is given to him and enjoys working with other filmmakers. His optimistic nature helps support North Star Film Festival’s mission to give its participants an encouraging and friendly environment to share their work.
Contact: zach@northstarfestival.com
Beth Adams
Authorized Representative
Resource Development Committee Chair
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Lisbeth Adams is a board member for the North Star Film Festival, where she leads sponsorship efforts and builds partnerships that help bring the festival to life. She holds a degree in Communication Arts and has served on multiple arts boards. With a background in film and theater—including acting, writing, directing, and producing—Lisbeth brings both creative passion and hands-on experience to her role. Having also helped run a short film festival, she is deeply committed to supporting storytellers and creating opportunities for filmmakers to shine.
Interested in supporting the arts? Connect with the North Star Film Festival to learn how you can get involved as a sponsor, volunteer, or community partner.
Contact: beth@northstarfestival.com
Erin Pecha
School Outreach Committee
Chair
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Erin Pecha is an award-winning actor and screenwriter. She lives for filmmaking and has worked in the Twin Cities film community for almost 20 years. Erin is passionate about telling stories that matter. She wants to unpack the human experience with love at the center.
She has written several short films such as ‘Puppy Love’, the winner of North Star Film Festival’s inaugural year. Erin also starred in a Minnesota-made feature film ‘Silly Little Wounds’ which has found much success on the festival circuit.
Erin loves to be a leader in the community and wants to see more filmmakers shine!
Contact: erin@northstarfestival.com
Evan Shearer
Media Content Committee
Lead
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Evan Shearer wears many hats and enjoys a wide variety of creative and outdoor pursuits. One day, he might be on set as an actor, and the next he could be outside watching storms roll by. His interests include storm spotting, acting, filmmaking, social media content creation, and photography. While he enjoys all of these passions, his favorite place to be is on a film set, whether that’s in front of the camera or behind it. Evan loves bringing stories and art to life through filmmaking and creative collaboration. His background in social media, photography, and content creation will help contribute to the success of the North Star Film Festival while ensuring that everyone involved has an enjoyable, welcoming, and memorable experience.
Contact: evan@northstarfestival.com
Additional leadership profiles will be added soon.
North Star Film Festival is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For nonprofit verification, sponsorship, donation, or partnership questions, please contact us at:
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