NEVADA CITY, CA – When most people think about filmmaking, they think about actors and directors. But a film production is also carpenters building sets, electricians managing lighting, costume designers, makeup artists, sound engineers, location scouts, caterers, and dozens of other skilled professionals whose work is essential to bringing a story to the screen. Every film production that comes to a community brings with it jobs, spending, and economic activity that ripples far beyond the movie theater.
That is exactly what the Nevada City Film Festival had in mind when it launched the Filmed in Nevada County Grant and the results of the first year have made the case more powerfully than anyone anticipated.
The Nevada City Film Festival (NCFF) is now accepting applications for the second year of the Filmed in Nevada County Grant, awarding between $1,000 and $20,000 to filmmakers producing short films or episodic projects with at least 50% of principal photography completed in Nevada County, California – including Nevada City, Grass Valley, Truckee, and the surrounding rural communities. Applications are open now through December 1, 2026.
A Strong First Year — $40,000 Into the Local Economy
The inaugural grant cycle drew 57 applications from across the country and selected two projects representing the full breadth of independent filmmaking – a seasoned documentary filmmaker making the crossover into narrative fiction and a student completing their MFA at UCLA.
Together, the two productions have brought over $40,000 directly into the communities of Truckee and Nevada City – hiring local crew, utilizing city parks, state park locations, private businesses, and local vendors throughout their productions. The program earned national recognition in Moviemaker Magazine, putting Nevada County on the map not just as a great place to see films, but as a genuine destination for making them.
“The grant is the beginning of an investment in Nevada County’s creative economy,” said Jesse Locks, Executive Director of NCFF. “It connects filmmakers to local producers, vendors, services, and locations, while generating jobs and economic activity, and positioning Nevada County as a recognized hub for independent film production.”
The first grant recipient, CATCH, directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Jared Callahan and produced in collaboration with Bristlecone Film Collective, shot entirely on location in Truckee and stars David Denman (The Office, Rebel Ridge) and Greg Hovanessian. The second project, written and directed by Rachel Bain, is currently shooting in the forests of western Nevada County this fall.
More Than a Grant – A Growing Ecosystem
The Filmed in Nevada County Grant is designed to do more than fund individual productions. It is building the infrastructure for a sustainable regional filmmaking community. Grantees receive optional mentorship and hands-on guidance from experienced filmmakers and producers covering development, planning, production, and distribution, provided in partnership with NCFF and the Golden Sierra Film Alliance (GSFA).
“Filmmaking is a collaborative art form and Northern California is rich with experienced and talented filmmakers,” said Andrew Haley, President of GSFA. “Our goal is to connect them together to realize artistically significant and commercially viable works.”
All grantees also have the opportunity to screen their completed films at the annual Nevada City Film Festival, in June.
“Supporting new voices and bold storytelling is central to NCFF’s mission,” said Jeffrey Clark, Co-Founder of NCFF. “The grant prioritizes originality, creative vision, and a genuine connection to place.”
November 7 — Free Industry Event Open to the Community
As part of its ongoing effort to connect Nevada County’s filmmaking community to statewide resources and policy, NCFF is hosting a free creative cohort on Thursday, November 7, 2-4pm at NCFF HQ 110 Union Street, Nevada City, featuring Bay Area producer, impact strategist, and film policy advocate Sam Bempong of #MakeItBay and the Oakland Film Collective.
Bempong is Regional Program Manager for the Bay Area at California for the Arts and Co-Director of #MakeItBay, which helped secure the Oakland Film Rebate Program, generating tens of millions in committed regional production spending. She also co-founded the Out of Zone Coalition, mobilizing 40+ statewide organizations to advance geographic equity in California’s Film & TV Tax Credit Program, and serves as In-House Impact Producer for the production company of Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs.
The event is free and open to all filmmakers, industry professionals, educators, local business owners, elected officials, and anyone interested in the role film production plays in building a thriving local economy.
“We are inviting everyone to this conversation from local representatives interested in job creation and working filmmakers, to those just starting out and educators looking for film programs,” said Locks. “Film production is a community endeavor. The more people who understand what it can mean for this region, the stronger we become.”
Nevada County: A Filmmaker’s Destination
Nevada County offers filmmakers something increasingly rare – genuine cinematic variety within a compact geographic footprint. Truckee and eastern Nevada County deliver high alpine terrain, historic rail infrastructure, and proximity to Lake Tahoe. Nevada City and Grass Valley offer Victorian-era streetscapes, oak woodland, and river canyons that can read as almost anywhere in the American West.
How to Apply
Applications are open now at nevadacityfilmfestival.com/filmedinnc
Application Deadline: December 1, 2026
Grantees Announced: January 15, 2027