The Ely Film Festival is a promise of exposure, exploration, and cultural enrichment, and we invite you to bring your creative energies! It’s an event that fuses the magic of cinema, the richness of our shared stories, and the pristine beauty of Ely, Minnesota.
March 13, 2025
5:00 pm
March 13, 2025
March 13, 2025
6:30 pm
March 13, 2025
March 14, 2025
10:00 am
March 14, 2025
March 15, 2025
10:00 am
March 15, 2025
March 15, 2025
9:00 pm
March 15, 2025
March 16, 2025
2:00 pm
March 16, 2025
March 16, 2025
4:30 pm
March 16, 2025
JACOB WHITE - EFF Director
Classically trained at NYU’s Institute of Film & TV, Jacob combined his passion for the histories and cultures of the Ely area with his skills and experiences as a community organizer and media professional to launch the Ely Film Festival in 2023. His favorite part of the festival is inviting the film community to merge and blend with the Ely community for a week each year.
NINA WRAY - Festival Coordinator
Nina loves the outdoors & going on adventures into the wilderness. Her previous career in experiential education allowed her to spend the better part of the last decade outside, as well as organizing events and people. Nina is excited and grateful for the opportunity to work with the Ely Film Festival team and all the filmmakers and talent who will visit the Ely area.
RYAN BAJAN - Co-Program Director
Boozhoo akinaa wiiyaa. It is an honor to be involved in the planning and facilitating of the Ely Film Festival. I currently serve as the Ojibwe Culture Teacher at the Nett Lake School, on the Nett Lake Reservation, with over 15 years working in schools. I also lead programming across the state with Waawaate Programs, our land-based teachings organization. Our family of 6 children live on Robinson Lake in Ely, though many nights are spent in the wild woods surrounding the area.
LUCY SODERSTROM - Co-Program Director
Lucy serves as Director at Ely Folk School, where she was initially drawn to its encouragement of the curious mind. She is excited about the upcoming Ely Film Festival and loves the opportunity to work with folks of diverse creative backgrounds.
JAN GUERIN - Lead Screener
Jan has lived in Ely for the last 7 years and finds it to be a welcoming, beautiful part of the world. Before living in Ely, she lived and worked in Milwaukee where she taught English Literature, Film Studies and Communications both on the high-school and college level. She’s excited to be part of the Ely Film Festival team. It is such an excellent contribution to our community and will make our cold winters much warmer.
LACEY SQUIER - Volunteer Coordinator
Lacey Squier serves as the volunteer coordinator for the Ely Film Festival as part of her role as manager of Boundary Waters Connect, a nonprofit sponsor of the festival. Boundary Waters Connect seeks to connect people and resources in ways that grow our Wilderness-edge economy and makes our community even more vibrant – and our Ely Film Festival does just that! Lacey also teaches pie and Slovenian potica at the Ely Folk School, as well as hosts the What’s Up Ely Podcast.
SHAUN CHOSA - Lead Screener
Shaun Chosa is a self-taught artist with a background in graphic design. He uses photographs as the basis and starting point for the images and paintings he creates. Being raised by a young single Native mother, who was a painter herself, led Chosa to witness, and sometimes partake, in various aspects of many different cultures in addition to Indigenous ones all over the United States. The artist lives and works in Ely, Minnesota, and he is a Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa citizen. He has two cats and spends most of his time creating art in his studio. His usual pastimes include exploring art, reading, and enjoying cinema from around the world.
