Nevada City Film Festival

Reimagining the Film Festival Experience: Where Story, Innovation, and Imagination Meet

This June 26–28, the historic streets of downtown Nevada City, CA come alive as we launch a new kind of festival experience — part festival, part symposium, and part think tank. Our goal is to create a space where filmmakers, artists, and audiences come together not just to watch films, but to exchange ideas, spark collaborations, and reimagine the future of cinema.

This year, we’re shining a special spotlight on animation and the artists who bring imagination to life. At a moment when technology — especially AI — is transforming the creative landscape, we believe it’s more important than ever to celebrate the human touch, the artistry, and the storytelling power that animators bring to the screen.

From screenings and panels to intimate dinners, hikes, and late-night gatherings under the stars, the festival will be a hub of creativity, conversation, and inspiration.

Who Should Submit
If you’re an animator or filmmaker who believes in the power of art to move, connect, and innovate — this is your invitation. Come share your work, your ideas, and your voice as we build a festival that doesn’t just showcase films, but helps shape the future of filmmaking itself.

Professional, student, and amateur filmmakers are invited to submit short films in a variety of genres including, but not limited to, documentaries, animation, narrative, comedy, multi-media, experimental, and music videos.

If you have a feature that is uses animation in your storytelling process please contact Executive Director, Jesse Locks (jesse at nevada city film festival dot com) for a special code to submit your film.

About NCFF
Since 2001, the Nevada City Film Festival (NCFF) has brought top independent film, music and comedy, along with attracting thousands of attendees, international filmmakers, and industry guests to the beautiful historic town of Nevada City, California.

NCFF is often referred to as the “Sundance of the Sierra” for its emphasis on fiercely independent cinema that showcases innovative, progressive and exciting new voices in film. We love supporting first time or mid career filmmakers.

In 2023, NCFF was named "One of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals" by Moviemaker Magazine, and voted the #9 film festival in the USA by 10Best USA Today. In 2025, NCFF was named for the fifth time by Moviemaker Magazine as one of the top 50 film festivals in the world worth the submission fee for filmmakers.

In previous years NCFF has hosted filmmakers such as Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine, Ruby Sparks), Mike Mills, Terry Zwigoff, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (Cartoon Networks Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!), Bill Nye (the Science Guy), David Zellner (Damsel, Sasquatch Sunset), Patrick Brice, Mark and Jay Duplass, and comedians including Beth Stelling, John Early, Kate Berlant, Maria Bamford, Tig Notaro, Nick Kroll, Natasha Leggero, Eric Andre, Kyle Kinane, and Marc Maron.

Past NCFF judges have included award-winning producers and directors, plus writers from The Huffington Post, New York Times, McSweeneys, San Francisco Chronicle, Rolling Stone Magazine, NPR, Film School Rejects, Seed&Spark, and Pop-Up Magazine.

About Nevada City, CA
Nevada City is known for its supportive arts and cultural scene, and makes screening a film here a positive, encouraging and exciting experience.