Filmnorth
FilmNorth is a public charity based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It supports filmmakers and media artists through career development, education, youth media programs, and fiscal sponsorship. Its programs include fellowships, courses and workshops, scholarships, and support for film and media projects.
Filmnorth at a glance
In short: Filmnorth gave $951K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $56K), top state New York. 47% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $951,446
- +136.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- +41.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $55,967
- +66.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $17,621
- Total assets
- $6,116,532
- +26.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (8 of 17, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (43% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Filmnorth
- How to Apply
-
For fiscal sponsorship, applicants submit FilmNorth’s electronic application. The application page says assessment takes approximately three to six weeks and requires a $65 submission fee. The form requests applicant information, a biography of up to 500 words, and the applicant’s role. FilmNorth’s stated eligibility restrictions include FilmNorth membership and the lead artist’s current or prior residence in Minnesota or the five-state region. The organization says a board committee reviews applications and the full board votes to accept or deny each application.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2441 University Ave W Ste 100, St Paul, MN 55114
Phone: (651) 644-1912
Website: https://filmnorth.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Filmnorth
Who Filmnorth funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Techknow Productions LLC ($405K). Together the top 10 received $882K.
Grant Size Distribution
49 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 42 grants of 49 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
FilmNorth’s website identifies Minnesota residency and work as requirements for the McKnight Media Artist Fellowships. Its fiscal sponsorship eligibility includes lead artists who currently live, or have previously lived, in Minnesota or Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, or South Dakota.
In 2024, the reported grant dollars went to recipients in New York (43%), Maine (30%), Minnesota (25%), California (2%), and Wisconsin (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Filmnorth open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 17 grantees (47%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $50K; repeat grants $62K. How we count
Medians: $18K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 41% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−16%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $137K (2022) to $1.1M (2021). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $951K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Techknow Productions LLC New York, NY | Fiscal Sponsorship | $405,220 |
| Brinkema Brothers LLC Kennebunk, ME | Fiscal Sponsorship | $285,563 |
| Storyforge LLC Saint Paul, MN | Fiscal Sponsorship | $32,638 |
| Nautilus Film Project LLC Spring Park, MN | Fiscal Sponsorship | $30,750 |
| Tonka Amusements LLC Excelsior, MN | Fiscal Sponsorship | $28,200 |
| Angry Deaf People Productions LLC Saint Paul, MN | Fiscal Sponsorship | $23,527 |
| Inside Senior Living LLC Minneapolis, MN | Fiscal Sponsorship | $22,761 |
| Come Talk to ME LLC Minneapolis, MN | Fiscal Sponsorship | $19,283 |
| Mecklenberg County Film LLC Deephaven, MN | Fiscal Sponsorship | $17,621 |
| Dead Media Movie LLC Los Angeles, CA | Fiscal Sponsorship | $16,791 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,116,532 | $1,962,905 | $2,418,947 | $951,446 | 17 | $59,516 |
| 2023 | $4,850,642 | $3,877,307 | $1,585,932 | $402,396 | 12 | $17,656 |
| 2022 | $1,906,949 | $793,436 | $895,911 | $137,161 | 12 | $17 |
| 2021 | $1,125,658 | $2,207,812 | $2,259,270 | $1,126,022 | 8 | $17 |
| 2020 | $1,201,915 | $1,170,605 | $714,308 | — | — | $20 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
FilmNorth’s mission is to empower artists to tell their stories, build sustainable careers, and advance the North as a leader in independent filmmaking. It says it works toward this by nurturing a diverse community of film and media artists, providing education and career resources, and celebrating artists’ achievements.
FilmNorth reports supporting independent filmmakers through fellowships, workshops, and other career-development activities. Its filing says it re-grants more than $100,000 annually through artistic fellowships for mid-career artists. The McKnight Media Artist Fellowships, offered in collaboration with the McKnight Foundation, provide four unrestricted awards of $25,000 to media artists beyond the emerging stage who reside and work in Minnesota; the awards are for artists, not specific projects.
FilmNorth also reports offering more than 100 courses each year and serving more than 2,000 people annually through education programs. Its youth media programs teach filmmaking and include school and out-of-school activities, mentorship, a high-school program, and summer camps. Scholarships are available for paid programs; the course and workshop scholarship criteria specify Minnesota residency and focus on applicants who identify with underserved populations or communities.
For fiscal sponsorship, FilmNorth says it assists media artists who are FilmNorth members. Lead artists must currently live, or have previously lived, in Minnesota or the five-state region of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The organization reports consulting with more than 50 film projects annually.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, FilmNorth reported 17 grants totaling $951,446. Grant amounts ranged from $6,201 to $405,220, with a median of $17,621. The listed 2024 grants were designated for fiscal sponsorship.
The largest reported grants were $405,220 to Techknow Productions LLC in New York, New York, and $285,563 to Brinkema Brothers LLC in Kennebunk, Maine. Other notable grants included $32,638 to Storyforge LLC in Saint Paul, Minnesota; $30,750 to Nautilus Film Project LLC in Spring Park, Minnesota; and $28,200 to Tonka Amusements LLC in Excelsior, Minnesota. The grantee names and locations are those listed in the filing; no grantee missions are provided here.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jeremy Wilker as president; Kellan Anderson Lee and Rebecca Smith as co-vice presidents; Sam Burnham as treasurer; and May Yang as secretary. Directors listed are Valerie Deus, Laura Fries, Sara Hamilton, Rose Lambert, and Sherry Meek.
Filmnorth is led by Andrew Peterson, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 20 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Andrew Peterson
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$73K (2020) → $80K (2024)
Jeremy Wilker
President
Director → Co-Vice President, 2022
Co-Vice President → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Aaron Young
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bianca Rhodes
Director
Vice President → President, 2022
President → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Missy Whiteman
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Valerie Deus
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Quinn Villagomez
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sherry Meek
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rose Lambert
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sara Hamilton
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Will Prescott
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Abdi Mohamed
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hannah Walker
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Justine Nagan
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Fries
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marsha Trainer
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kellan Anderson Lee
Co-Vice President
Director → Co-Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sam Burnham
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
May Yang
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Smith
Co-Vice President
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (19)
- Former: David Weiser (2021–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Alison Guessou (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Jamie Schumacher (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Rebecca McDonald (2022–2023) — Co-Vice President
- Former: Chris Barry (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Warren Harmon (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Naomi Ko (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Bethany Whitehead (2020–2021) — President
- Former: Deirdre Haj (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Mark Bennett (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Steve Anseth (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Tim Grady (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Vera Allen (2021) — Director
- Former: Kathleen Kvern (2020) — Director
- Former: Kellan Anderson (2020) — Director
- Former: Laura Hotvet (2020) — Director
- Former: Laura Ivey (2020) — Director
- Former: Maya Washington (2020) — Director
- Former: Patty Radford Henderson (2020) — Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $80K, to Andrew Peterson (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Filmnorth
How much does Filmnorth give each year?
Filmnorth gave $951K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $402K across 12 grants.
What is Filmnorth's typical grant size?
Filmnorth's median grant in 2024 was $17,621, and its average grant was $55,967, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Filmnorth that year got $50K on average.
Where does Filmnorth give grants?
Filmnorth's top state is New York, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Maine (30%) and Minnesota (25%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (6 grants) and Saint Paul, MN (2 grants).
Does Filmnorth give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Filmnorth's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Fiscal Sponsorship" (17 grants).
Who are Filmnorth's largest grantees?
Filmnorth's largest 2024 grantees include Techknow Productions LLC ($405,220), Brinkema Brothers LLC ($285,563) and Storyforge LLC ($32,638), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 76% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Filmnorth?
Filmnorth reported $6.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.0M.
What does Filmnorth fund?
FilmNorth’s mission is to empower artists to tell their stories, build sustainable careers, and advance the North as a leader in independent filmmaking. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Filmnorth?
For fiscal sponsorship, applicants submit FilmNorth’s electronic application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Filmnorth's EIN?
Filmnorth's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1594894. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Filmnorth funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Filmnorth's focus areas in our free grants database
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Filmnorth down — hundreds of funders to go?