NEVADA CITY, CA — Every great puppeteer, creature designer, and special effects artist started somewhere – usually with scissors, glue, and an imagination too big to sit still. The Nevada City Film Festival (NCFF) is giving local kids the chance to start exactly there, working alongside someone who has spent nearly three decades building the creatures of modern Hollywood.
On Saturday, June 27 from 9–11am at the Nevada Theatre, NCFF presents a free abbreviated version of its popular Watch & Wonder children’s program: a creature craft workshop led by veteran fabricator Fred Fraleigh and Nevada City artist Liz Winters, followed by a screening of Where the Wild Things Are – a film Fraleigh himself helped bring to life.
This is not a typical craft hour. Fraleigh has spent his career inside the workshops that define modern movie magic, including a stint at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop – the same legendary workshop responsible for the Muppets, Labyrinth, and The Dark Crystal. His credits span The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Avengers: Infinity War, X-Men: Apocalypse, Hellboy, and Where the Wild Things Are itself. For one morning, kids in Nevada County will learn directly from someone who has built the very creatures that filled their imaginations.
“This is the kind of moment that can change the trajectory of a kid’s life,” said Jesse Locks, Executive Director of the Nevada City Film Festival. “Somewhere out there is the next Jim Henson, the next great creature designer or puppeteer and they might just be sitting in our audience on Saturday morning. Fred and Liz aren’t just teaching kids to make a mask. They’re showing them that the wild, strange, wonderful things they imagine can actually become real.”
Each child will leave with their own handmade creature mask or crown, ready to rule their own kingdom of mischief and rumpus, and, perhaps, the seed of a lifelong passion for storytelling, art, or filmmaking.
The morning concludes with a screening of Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze’s beloved adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s classic, co-written with Dave Eggers. The film follows young Max (Max Records) as he sails to a land of enormous, strange creatures who crown him their king brought to life through a blend of live performance, puppeteering, and effects work that Fraleigh helped create.
“I love the film Where the Wild Things Are because it pushes the boundaries of a kids movie. It explores an emotional territory that Maurice Sendak established in his book that is particular in childhood – an unknown landscape of light and shadows,” said Pamela Vadakan, curator of Watch & Wonder. “Max is wild with joy and creation – he’s the king of his world – and he’s also wild with anger and loneliness. Growing can be scary but it’s the possibility of discovery and connecting with other wild things that pushes him along… this is the human condition for everyone, young and old. I hope those who come to this event will enjoy finding and creating their inner creature with amazing artists to guide them, and connecting with other wild things in our neck of the woods.”
Who: 26th Annual Nevada City Film Festival
What: Watch & Wonder Mask and Crown Making, Saturday, June 27, 2026, 9-11am, Film Screening of Where the Wild Things Are, 11:30am-1:30pm
Where: Historic Nevada Theatre, 401 Broad Street, Nevada City
Tickets: Free, Mask and Crown Making Workshop limited to 40 (All-Ages), Film Screening limited to 200 (PG)
Register at https://nevadacityfilmfestival2026.eventive.org/
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Fred Fraleigh has worked in the Hollywood film and special effects industry as a fabricator and specialty costumer since 1998, bringing his talents to top shops in the field including Spectral Motion and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. His credits include The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Avengers: Infinity War, X-Men: Apocalypse, The Cabin in the Woods, Men in Black 2 & 3, Hellboy 1 & 2, Lady in the Water, and Where the Wild Things Are.
Elizabeth Winters is a visual and teaching artist based in Nevada City, inspired by the natural beauty of the region and the human form. Working primarily in oil, she specializes in portraiture and landscape, exploring light, human connection, and atmosphere.