Zeshawn Ali

Artist Programs Manager – he/him

Zeshawn Ali is a filmmaker originally from Ohio. His feature film debut, “Two Gods,” was supported by ITVS, Ford Foundation and Sundance Institute and was selected in festivals across North America. It was also screened as a part of “Independent Lens” on PBS and was nominated for a Cinema Eye Spotlight Award. He was recently named a Pillars Artist Fellow as well as a recipient of the HBO/ Gotham Documentary Development Fund. He is a member of Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective and Meerkat Media and currently based in New York City.

Clio Berta

Operations Coordinator – she/her

Clio Berta is an artist, composer and event producer currently living and working in midcoast Maine. She has directed and produced collaborative multimedia events in public parks, galleries, vacant storefronts and her own backyard, composed scores for a diverse range of short films and is currently fascinated by holograms. She is thrilled to be the Operations Coordinator at the Points North Institute! Clio graduated in 2017 from Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a BFA in Interrelated Media, where she studied abroad at the Burren College of Art and participated in selected coursework at Berklee College of Music. She has been a Resident Artist at Studio Kura in Itoshima, Japan, the Stillness Project in Jefferson, Maine and Fish Factory in Stöðvarfjörður, Iceland.

Sean Flynn

Artistic Director – he/him

Sean Flynn is the Program Director and Co-Founder of the Points North Institute, where he has spent the past 13 years leading the organization’s program development and expansion from a small-town film festival into a year-round media arts institute with global reach. He currently oversees the curation and design of the Camden International Film Festival, a growing suite of filmmaker grants and fellowships, a 2-day documentary conference, an immersive media exhibition, and year-round community engagement initiatives that use documentary screenings to build public discourse. Sean received a master’s degree from MIT’s Comparative Media Studies department, where he worked as a researcher at the MIT Open Documentary Lab. He began his filmmaking career as a producer and cinematographer on two feature-length documentaries, BEYOND BELIEF and THE LIST, which examine the consequences of America’s military interventions in the Muslim world since 9/11. Both films premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and aired on national television. In 2012, Sean was a Fulbright Senior Research Fellow in Mumbai, India.

Nicole Fowlie

Finance Manager – she/her

Nicole Fowlie has been a dedicated supporter since the Camden International Film Festival's first year, and she has enjoyed working for Points North as an official member for several years. She lives in the midcoast area where she is raising her two sons. In addition to her work for Points North, Nicole is proud to work with youth at a local elementary school.

Kate Fox

Director of Development – she/her

Kate is a seasoned nonprofit leader with nearly two decades of experience advancing arts and cultural organizations through strategic fundraising and program development. She holds a graduate degree in Visual Arts Administration from New York University and has secured and managed funding for organizations ranging from grassroots initiatives to multimillion-dollar institutions. Prior to joining Points North, she held positions at BRIC Arts Media, the Children’s Museum of the Arts, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Her work is grounded in community engagement, educational access, artist support, and a deep commitment to equity. Based in the Portland area, Kate spends as much time as possible in the Midcoast—especially in the summer.

Willoughby Lucas Hastings

Marketing Coordinator – she/her

Willoughby Lucas Hastings is a visual artist and educator originally from Huntsville, Alabama, and currently based in Rockland, Maine. As a visual artist, Hastings works in textiles, photography, sculpture, and social practice. Her artistic practice led to an interest in public programming and design both implemented in her Marketing role at Points North. She also continues her work in higher education, teaching studio art courses at the University of Southern Maine.

Cam Howard

Festival and Community Programs Manager – they/them

cam howard (a.k.a. a.c.) is a writer, astrologer, and multidisciplinary artist, and the program coordinator at the Points North Institute. Their work focuses on queer coming of age, community care, music, nature, and the future. Their writing has appeared in 68 to 05, The Lambda Literary Review of Books, The Stopgap, and in their newsletter The Deal. Cam grew up in DownEast Maine, studied film at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and are an alumni of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. They were a 2023 LEF Fellow at the Flaherty Film Seminar, a recipient of the 2021 Springboard Artist Grant from the Maine Arts Commission, and a semi-finalist for the 2019 Student Academy Awards.

Colin Kelley

Tech Director – he/him

Colin has been with CIFF since 2010, where he started as a projectionist. In addition to his work here, Colin is the Technical Director for the Full Frame Documentary Festival in Durham, NC and a media production consultant at Bowdoin College. He is a graduate of Alfred University and the Maine Media Workshops four-week doc program.

Elise McCave

Executive Director – she/her

Elise is the Executive Director of the Points North Institute. She has 15 years of leadership and field-building at the intersection of independent film and social impact. Previously, she was at the global fundraising platform, Kickstarter, where she served as the Head of Film, leading strategy for the company’s largest category. Prior to that, she was Deputy Director of Doc Society, where she was a member of one of the UK’s most innovative social impact funders. Over eight years she worked on pioneering models for community engagement through documentary film, notably via the international Good Pitch program and the free-to-access Impact Field Guide & Toolkit. Elise is from Cambridge in the UK, and has a BSc in Anthropology from the University of London. She’s lived in the US since 2015, and divides her time between New York and Midcoast Maine.

Eileen Baptistin Level

Venue Manager: Strand Theatre – she/her

Eileen Level has been working in the film festival industry since 2014 and since then has launched PaleFO Cinema, amplifying voices through the cinematic arena which seeks to look forward to the evolution of the cinescape experience in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). In 2023 Level spoke at SXSW on the 90 minute Film School panel about her journey as a budding exhibitor and mission to quench cinema deserts. Upon graduation from The New School, she has been piloting PaleFO Cinema a community-based outdoor cinema series to be produced and curated by youth with the intention to quench the thirst of cinema deserts and active creative third spaces in underserved communities.

Melissa Bindi

Guest Experience Assistant – she/her

Melissa is a Video Producer and Festival Coordinator from Los Angeles, California with a portfolio including narrative and documentary short films and digital series collaborations with Netflix, StyleLikeU, CollegeHumor/Dropout, Funny or Die, and more. She has held seasonal staff positions at True/False Film Fest and the San Luis Obispo Film Fest.

Mara Bresnahan

Accessibility Consultant – she/her

Mara Bresnahan, a longtime advocate for inclusive production practices, most recently served as Accessibility Coordinator on the upcoming Apple feature film based on Judy Heumann’s memoir Being Heumann. She was Artist Program Manager at The Points North Institute for six years and Accessibility Consultant for the acclaimed Netflix documentary Crip Camp. Her background includes serving as festival director for the Boston ReelAbilities Film Festival for five years and programming festivals such as Brooklyn and Hot Springs.

Allison Brzezinski

Artist & Community Programs Production Coordinator – they/them

Allison Brzezinski (they/them) is the owner of Birch Bark Events, the event planning and management boutique based in Camden, Maine. Some career highlights include Camden Pride Pop-Ups, a series of events celebrating the queer community while raising funds for OUT Maine; Owls Head Transportation Museum's 50th Anniversary Gala, celebrating the first 50 years of the museum's legacy while looking to its future in STEM education; Camden Famous Podcast Palooza, a summer kick-off event featuring many local businesses in Camden; Freedom Rising Conference, a Manhattan based conference aimed at coalition-building and supporting activists in political reform; and Nasty Women Unite Fest, a multi-day, multimedia arts festival created in response to the 2016 election. In addition to their work as an event planner, Allison is also a multi-disciplinary artist, producer, and parent of three adorable dogs.

Zaina Bseiso

Senior Programmer – she/her

Zaina Bseiso is a filmmaker, educator, and curator whose work explores diasporic manifestations of return, cinematic acts of solidarity, and articulations of power in the moving image. She is a Senior Programmer at the Points North Institute and the co-founder of Bahia Collective, a community of filmmakers dedicated to collaborative practice and curation. Bseiso serves on the programming board of LA Film forum and independently organizes film events that foster community engagement. Currently in post-production, her first feature, Todo Lo Sólido, has received support from Sundance, Sandbox Films, Visions Sud Est, among others. In 2024, she served as a curatorial fellow at the Flaherty Seminar and filmmaker-in-residence at the Duke DocX Lab. She holds an MFA in Film and Video from CalArts.

Jonathan Cunningham

Media Team – he/him

Jonathan is a Maine cinematographer and editor who specializes in drone and gimbal cinematography. He enjoys going on adventures all around the globe meeting new people with new ideas and customs. If there is a mountain around you can trust that he is venturing to the top with his gimbal in search of that perfect shot. He is always up for a challenge and is among the first to volunteer to help out on new projects.

Marta Denny

Events & Lounge Coordinator – she/Her

Marta Denny is an freelance event producer currently living and working in Brooklyn, New York. Born and raised in Rockport, she has delighted in taking part in CIFF for the last three years in roles spanning venue management and box office operations - and is excited to return this year in a more creative role. She is currently pursuing roles that combine sustainability and event production in New York, and would love to chat your ear off about it during CIFF this year. Just tap her on the shoulder, she'll be at the Lounge!

Grace DiNatale

Camden Opera House Stage Manager – she/her

Grace is excited to be working at CIFF for the first time this year! She is a New York based stage manager who primarily works in theatre. Recent credits include: I Want To Be Good (Irvington Theatre and Theatre Row); Lucky Man: A Warrior's Journey (The Gene Frankel Theatre); Heisenberg (The Chain Theatre); In the Works - In the Woods Festival (Forestburgh Playhouse); DLFNY Beacon Awards (Sony Hall). Grace graduated from Emerson College in May 2024 with a BFA in Stage & Production Management.

Amber Eklund

Events & Lounge Manager – she/her

Amber Eklund is an artist, former boat builder/carpenter, and community event producer, currently living and working in midcoast Maine. She spends most of the year connecting with the local agriculture scene producing community events for the Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets. She is thrilled to be leading the Special Events team for CIFF 2025 and can't wait to share all the magic that will be showcased this September!

Sarah Erwin

Associate Producer, Artist & Community Programs – she/her

Born & raised in Maine, Sarah is thrilled to be a part of the Points North Team as Associate Producer, Artist & Community Programs. She comes to Points North from Tribeca Film Institute and is excited to bring her love for independent film & community engagement to her home state. She loves talking about TV shows and also would be happy to help anyone source the perfect vintage quilt for their home.

Luke Fatora

Tech Coordinator – he/him

Based in Rockland, ME, Luke Fatora has been with CIFF since 2021. Beyond the festival, he is the co-artistic director of Halcyon, a midcoast based ensemble that creates multimedia performances blending film with live musical scores.

Haley Faulds

Artist Programs Production Assistant – she/her

Haley is a multidisciplinary artist currently based in Maine’s Midcoast. She holds a BA in Studio Art and Psychological Sciences from the University of Vermont and has worked with a range of nonprofit arts organizations. She currently spends her days tending vegetables on a small organic farm near Damariscotta. When she’s not farming, she’s likely making pots or pictures, knitting through long movies, or spending too much time poking around an antique barn.

Milton Guillen

Senior Programmer – they/him

Milton Guillén is a visual artist, filmmaker, and the senior programmer for the Camden International Film Festival/Points North Institute in Maine, USA. His work explores the cinematic intersections of radical collaborative non-fictions and political dreamscapes, focusing on themes around human rights and aesthetics. Milton’s films have screened globally at the Venice Biennale, CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Rooftop, DOK Leipzig, True/False, Dokufest, Camden, and several dozens of festivals and venues around the world. Milton recently received production grants from the Tribeca Film Institute and ITVS. He also was named fellow at the Points North Institute, the Bay Area Video Coalition, Kartemquin, the International Documentary Association, and is the recipient of several international artists’ residencies and grants. He holds an MFA from Northwestern University in Documentary Media and studied Visual Anthropology and Cinema Studies at Colby College. They are an Assistant Professor at the University of Vermont, an Associate Fellow at the Film Study Center at Harvard, Chicken & Egg, and Firelight.

Sam Heth

Guest Experience Coordinator – she/they

Sam is a hospitality person, festival producer, movie watcher, email sender, bike rider, plant waterer, cat petter, daiquiri shaker, sometimes a handmade 16mm film maker. BFA from Temple University in Philadelphia, now calling New Orleans home. Recently involved with True/False Film Festival, Camden International Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, Maryland Film Festival and Overlook Film Festival.

Maggie Hirshland

YETI Lounge Venue Manager – they/he

Maggie has spent the past few years working in a variety of community engagement and youth programming roles, seeking to create spaces and opportunities for folks to connect, learn, and grow from and with each other. After spending a few years in Rockland, Maggie is now based in Brooklyn, NY and excited to return as the Industry Lounge Manager for for their fifth year with the festival!

Morgan Hulquist

Venue Manager: Camden Opera House – she/her

Morgan Hulquist is a documentary filmmaker based in Portland, Maine whose work explores latent place-based stories. She stands against the genocide of the Palestinian people by the Israeli Occupation Forces and the complicity of the United States. From 2022 to 2025, Morgan was Associate Producer at Multitude Films; credits include Life After (Sundance 2025), Power (Sundance 2024/Netflix), Queer Futures (CPH: DOX 2023), and Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power (Tribeca 2022). Other roles include Communications Coordinator at Chicken & Egg Films, freelance archival producer, and documentary communications specialist.

Elizabeth Kroner

Journeys End Venue Manager – she/her

Elizabeth Kroner is a writer and researcher living in New York City. She earned a BA in Film Studies from UC Berkeley and a MA in Media Studies from The New School. Serving as Production Coordinator for this year's CIFF, she has also held production roles at the Flaherty Film Seminar and MoMI's First Look Festival. Additionally, she has supported development and programming at SFFILM and the Sundance Institute.

Kate Lemberg

Associate Manager, Industry & Artist Programs – she/her

Kate Lemberg is the Associate Manager of Industry Relations & Artist Programs at Points North, where, in addition to supporting the programming and operations of PNI’s Artist Programs and maintaining PNI’s industry relationships, her primary focus is producing the 1:1 Meetings program. In addition to her work at PNI, Kate is a staff programmer at RiverRun in North Carolina; the Creators Market producer at Tribeca; the Operations Director for Middlebury New Filmmakers; and the Film Nominations Associate at the Independent Spirit Awards. She currently is an Assistant Programmer at Tribeca and a shorts screener for Rooftop Films. She has served as a juror for the IDA Awards. Having begun her work in festivals in venue and ticketing operations—having previously done so at Sundance, DOC NYC, True/False, SIFF, PSIFF, and more—she still works in those arenas on occasion. Kate is a proud BA & MA alum of Cinema Studies at NYU Tisch.

Charlee Liebeskind

Volunteer Manager – she/her

Hi I'm Charlee, born and raised in NYC! I have studied film at The School of Visual Arts & Bennington College and used my education by spending the last four years working at different film festivals around the country in Operations and Programming roles. My interest in films started at young age but I also have spent time working in the music and theater worlds. I have loved working in the arts communities thus far and am always looking for new opportunities to continue my work in these communities!

Lucila Moctezuma

Senior Consultant, Artist Programs – she/her

Lucila Moctezuma is a producer and consultant to documentary filmmakers and media organizations in the US and internationally, and programmer with international festivals. She is producer of the documentaries in-progress She Wrestles (by Charles Fairbanks), Women Like Us (Nausheen Dadabhoy), and Regreso/Return (by David Barba). Her consulting work with filmmakers focuses on story and creative authorship, and consults with media organizations in program design, program implementation, and as facilitator of story workshops. Currently she is Senior Consultant of Artist Programs at Points North Institute where she co-leads the Diane Weyermann Fellowship; Senior International Programmer for Hot Docs in Canada, and a member of the documentary programming committee at the Morelia International Film Festival in Mexico. Other consulting organizations have included Close Up Initiative, the Sundance Documentary Film Program, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Multitude Films, and story workshops with the Bronx Documentary Center and BAVC. Previously, she held senior positions at high-profile organizations such as Chicken & Egg Films, UnionDocs, Women Make Movies, the Media Arts Fellowships for The Rockefeller Foundation, and founded the TFI Latin America Fund for Tribeca Film Institute. Lucila is based in Brooklyn, NY, and is originally from Mexico City. She is a frequent guest participant at film forums, panels and juries in the US and internationally. Lucila is a 2025 EAVE Producers Workshop Fellow, 2019 JustFilms Ford Foundation / Rockwood Leadership Institute Fellow, and a member of the Documentary Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences since 2021.

Allyson Morgan

1:1 Meetings Coordinator – she/her

Allyson Morgan is an award-winning writer, producer, performer, and film festival veteran, having most recently worked with Brooklyn Film Festival, DOC NYC, Indie Street Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival, Nantucket Film Festival, and Tribeca Festival, among others. Allyson’s first short film "Need For Speed (Dating)" premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, while her next short, "Sitting," won "Outstanding Narrative Short" at Tallgrass Film Festival. "First Date," her short film produced by 20th Digital Studio, is currently airing on Hulu in their "Bite Size Halloween" series. Allyson adapted "First Date" into a feature film for Hulu, titled "Jagged Mind," which the LA Times called “edgy” and “powerful.” Her newest short, "The Ghost," which also serves as her directorial debut, made its world premiere at the Oscar-qualifying RiverRun International Film Festival. She has also been selected for the New York Stage and Film Filmmakers’ Workshop, twice been awarded “Best Teleplay” at Omaha Film Festival, twice been a top ten Finalist for Cinequest, a Finalist at Stowe Story Labs, and a Semi-Finalist at Austin Film Festival. More: allysonm.com

Shannon Pelletier

Graphic Designer – she/her

Shannon comes from a diverse background in performing, arts management and production. Originally from Maine, Shannon received her BFA from the New School University in NYC and her Master’s in Arts Policy and Practice at the Huston School for Film and Digital Media in Galway, Ireland. She has worked throughout the US and Europe under several scopes within the arts non-profit sector and within the commercial sector in Australia. Upon returning the US, Shannon was Operations Manager at Points North from 2016-2017 before transitioning to focused work in graphic design with a specialty in publication design—including design of the CIFF program since 2017. She is a founding member and designer of Holy Show, a magazine of contemporary life and culture in Ireland; described by the Irish Times as “unquestionably the most beautiful” Irish literary journal and celebrated in a 2024/2025 retrospective exhibition of the first 6 issues at the Museum of Literature Ireland.

Eynar Pineda

Associate Producer of Engagement – he/him

Josh Povec

Multimedia Producer – he/him

Josh leads the photo and video teams for Points North Institute and edits the CIFF trailer. He has been directing, producing and editing films for 25 years, from 100+ museum exhibits to 80+ hours of broadcast television for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and PBS. His branded content and social-first distribution campaign clients have included Yeti, Adidas, Toyota, Cannon, Nikon, Dell and Red Bull. Josh is a board member at Northeast Historic Film and his media production company, Big POV Pictures, produces/tech directs the Camden Conference. His most recent broadcast work, America's Forests with Chuck Leavell/PBS and Amazon Prime, explores stories of Maine’s north woods. He grew up in Maine and lives in Belfast.

Danny Quintanilla

Media Team – he/him

Daniel Quintanilla splits his time between working as a Cinematographer/Filmmaker and First Responder with Rockland Fire/EMS as well as Coastal Mountain Search & Rescue.

Deborah Rudolph

Partnerships Officer – she/her

Deborah Rudolph is Partnerships Officer for Points North Institute, and Associate Programmer at Tribeca Festival. She was previously Industry Programs Manager for Chicago International Film Festival, Impact Campaign Manager at Looky Looky Pictures, Director of Sponsorship and DOCNYC PRO for DOCNYC, and has served as Producer of the Points North Forum at CIFF, Programming Coordinator at Montclair Film, and for many years as Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility at HBO. She has been film evaluator for POV, Catapult Film Fund, and Chicken & Egg Pictures. She is dedicated to filmmaker development and education, and building partnerships to increase sustainability for documentary makers. She holds a BFA in Film and Photography from NYU, and a Masters in Communication from Columbia University.

Alfie Russo

Associate Tech Director – he/him

Alfie has been with the Camden International Film Festival since 2014, working in immersive media and producing all things technology. He is also the Broadcast Transmission Manager for Maine Public, providing the infrastructure to support and expand broadcasting NPR and PBS programming across the state. He holds a BA from Bates College in Rhetoric with a concentration in Film and Media Studies. Originally from New York, he has been gradually moving further and further north, currently residing in the Bangor area.

Scott Sell

Media Team – he/him

Scott Sell is a producer, editor, and writer operating out of the great state of Maine. His writing and multimedia work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and BOMB Magazine and he has worked on projects for clients such as PBS, Land Rover, and Atlas Obscura. He is on the board of the historic Strand Theater in Rockland, and together with Alexis Iammarino, he runs Little Legs Projects, a multimedia production company focused on art education and documentary storytelling. He has worked in various production roles for CIFF since 2016.

Marisa Torre

Artist Programs Production Assistant – she/her

Marisa Torre is a cinematographer and filmmaker from California. She is the technical manager at Maine Media Workshops and College in Rockport.

Alix Towler

Festival Producer – they/he

Alix is a comics artist, social work trainer, community organizer, and sometimes documentary filmmaker born and raised in North Carolina and currently blessing hearts in Brooklyn, New York.

Alexa Wagner

Artist Programs Production Assistant – she/her

Alexa Wagner is a filmmaker, actor, and creative producer with a love for stories that reflect community, tradition, and place. She is currently co-producing a documentary about a family living on a remote island in Croatia making olive oil, where she spent a month harvesting olives and making oil alongside them. Originally from the American West, Alexa has lived and traveled widely, calling many places home. She spent a few years in Scotland studying and traveling in her retrofitted van before returning to the midcoast, where her family lives in Camden, Maine. Alexa can be found most days rearing her 22 chickens and piddling in her garden. She has worked locally as a freelance photographer for companies like Maine Sport and Sundog, works as both an actor and collaborator for Maine Media, and is now creating a custom corporate gifting business with her mom. She is excited to be returning to CIFF as Assistant Venue Manager, bringing her creative background, production experience, and joy for gathering people together.

Mac Whitehead

Volunteer & Hub Assistant – they/them

Mac Whitehead is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and currently resides in San Francisco, California. Their admiration for film stems from childhood, which blossomed into a passion for screenwriting that continues to this day. Mac have spent the last few years working in various positions in the arts, most recently as the Volunteer Manager for the San Francisco International Film Festival. You can also find them giving ghost tours through San Francisco's Jackson Square and Chinatown neighborhoods. They are thrilled to be a part of the CIFF 2025 team and cannot wait to showcase all this festival has to offer!

Oliver Worner

Summer Production Assistant, PassMaster – he/him

Oliver grew up in Camden and is senior at Emerson College working to complete his BFA in Stage & Production Management. He has been involved with CIFF since the 2018 festival, making this his 8th consecutive year with CIFF! At Emerson, Oliver leads BlueJay Theater Collective, The Student Theatre Alliance, and the Emerson Performing Arts Alliance, all of which he formed and developed over the last three years. Oliver is currently a producer of the EVVY Awards, the largest student run award show in the country. This past year he was named Student Leader of the Year at the Emerson Recognition and Achievement awards for his work leading teams both on the curricular side (in Emerson Stage productions) and the cocurricular side (The EVVYs and several organizations). His favorite CIFF Films are "Narrowsburg" and "Will & Harper" and his favorite CIFF project was the Shotwell Drive-In where he worked with his CIFF bestie Sarah. Oliver is passionate about public transit, coffee, and Slack.