**Special Announcement Regarding COVID-19**
(March 25, 2020) Over the last week our team has been working on contingency plans for the 20th Anniversary of the Nevada City Film Festival, August 28-September 4. If we are unable to publicly convene by summer, the entire film festival will be streamed online. We will still have our awards and we will work with our filmmakers to participate in online forums and audience Q&A's. We feel these are necessary steps to ensure we can continue to serve and provide a much beloved platform for filmmakers and film-lovers to connect and celebrate independent film. Of course, nothing can replace the experience and camaraderie of seeing a film with your friends, family, and members of your community, in a beautiful theatre. Thus, we hope for the best.
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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 historic town of Nevada City, California.
Nevada City is known for its sophisticated and supportive arts and cultural scene, and makes screening a film here a positive, encouraging and exciting experience.
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. In 2019, NCFF was named for the second time by Moviemaker Magazine as one of the top 50 film festivals in the world worth the submission fee for filmmakers.
This year’s festival kicks off August 28-September 4, 2020 in downtown historical Nevada City. The week-long festival features indoor and outdoor film screenings, panels and workshops for filmmakers and festival attendees, filmmaker Q&A’s and coffee talks, after-parties, virtual reality experiences, nature hikes and outdoor excursions, and other special events.
NCFF is known for recognizing and supporting new talent including independent filmmakers such as Jonathan Krisel (Portlandia, Baskets), Jason Sussberg (Bill Nye: Science Guy), Patrick Brice (Corporate Animals, The Overnight), Greg Finton (Dazed & Confused, The World According to Dick Cheney), Augustine Frizzell (Never Goin’ Back), David Zellner (Damsel, Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter), Christina Choe (Nancy), animator and performance artist Miwa Matryek, and animator Galen Pehrson, among others.
In previous years NCFF has hosted filmmakers such as Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine, Ruby Sparks), Mike Mills, Wesley Allsbrook, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (Cartoon Networks Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!), Bill Nye (the Science Guy), and comedians including Maria Bamford, Tig Notaro, Nick Kroll, Natasha Leggero, Nick Thune 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, and Pop-Up Magazine.
Professional, student, and amateur filmmakers are invited to submit short and feature length films in a variety of genres including, but not limited to, documentaries, animation, narrative, comedy, multi-media, experimental, music videos, virtual and augmented reality.
$1500 Best of the Fest, Judges Award
$1000 Best Short Film Screenplay
$1000 Best Doc Feature
$1000 Best Narrative Feature
$500 Best Short Narrative
$500 Best Short Doc
$500 Best Short Animation
$500 Best Director
$500 Best Performance
$500 Best Cinematography
$500 Best Editing
$500 Best Musical Score
$500 Audience Award