Four New Members Elected to Join NDFS
BY SCOTTIE KNOLLIN
Twice a year, in January and July, the North Dakota Film Society’s members vote to elect new members. In order to be considered, applicants must fall under at least one of four categories: filmmaker, journalist, educator, and/or exhibitor. Applicants must also reside in North Dakota or the Fargo-Moorhead or Grand Forks-East Grand Forks metro areas. In addition to being active members of the film community across North Dakota, society members vote in the annual North Dakota Film Society Awards, which are recognized across the industry each January.
For July 2021, four new members were elected and will join the group just in time for the upcoming festival and awards seasons. Including its newest members, NDFS is now comprised of 24% women and 16% members of the LGBT+ community.
Newly elected members include:
Margie Bailly
A legend in the Fargo film community, Bailly served as the Executive Director of the Fargo Theatre from 1997 to 2011. During her tenure, she oversaw a $3 million renovation of the historic cinema and helped establish the Fargo Film Festival. An advocate for the arts, Bailly has served as president of the Fargo Moorhead Civic Opera, the Fargo Moorhead Junior League, the Fargo Moorhead Area Foundation Women’s Fund, and Fargo Kiwanis. She has also served on the boards at the United Way of Cass Clay, the Downtown Business Association, the Fargo Theatre, and the Lake Agassiz Arts Council.
In 2011, the Fargo Film Festival established the Margie Bailly Volunteer Spirit Award, given each year to an outstanding individual whose contributions to the Fargo Film Festival go above and beyond.
Brittney Goodman
A self-proclaimed film lover, Goodman is an Associate Professor, Librarian, and Director of Faculty Development at Minnesota State University Moorhead. She is also a longtime supporter of the Fargo Film Festival, where she has served in various roles for the past 13 years. In 2016, Goodman was the recipient of the Fargo Film Festival’s Margie Bailly Volunteer Spirit Award.
Goodman holds an M.A. in English from Western Illinois University and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a regular contributor to the High Plains Reader.
Each week, Goodman hosts trivia at the Downtown Fargo VFW and spends her time organizing philanthropic events for homeless persons and veterans.
JJ Gordon
You’ve probably heard Gordon’s voice on KFGO’s “It Takes Two with Amy & JJ”. The broadcaster and comedian frequently features film reviews during his signature See It, Stream It, or Skip It segment. In addition to the radio program, Gordon is the host of the “JJ Meets World” podcast, in which he interviews filmmakers, creators, and other community leaders.
Gordon has toured the country as the Artistic Director of The LineBenders Comedy Troupe, a Fargo-Moorhead-based improv troupe. Gordon received training at the famed The Second City in Chicago, where he also attended Columbia College Chicago.
Drew Swenson
A Fargo-Moorhead native, Swenson grew up with an extensive love for film and music. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Steven’s Point with a BFA in Musical Theatre and a minor in Media Production, after which he moved to New York City. In the Big Apple, Swenson gained experience as a freelance videographer and photographer. He also spent time as a professional personal assistant to award-winning actress Martha Plimpton.
Since relocating to Fargo, Swenson serves the NDSU community as the School of Design, Architecture and Art’s video producer and editor. Over the past year, he has produced nearly 100 videos for the school’s “Reviewable Content” project which provides free educational videos on a wide variety of topics related to design. Swenson is also an experimental filmmaker, podcaster, and one half of the music duo, Hawthorne Park.
