10th annual Tahoe Film Fest on North Shore

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – The Tahoe Film Fest is celebrating a decade of showcasing exceptional, award-winning films from around the globe in the breathtaking setting of North Lake Tahoe. This year's festival will take place from December 5-8, 2024, inviting film enthusiasts and community members to immerse themselves in a rich tapestry of storytelling and cultural exchange.

Since its inception, the Tahoe Film Fest has become a cornerstone of the local cultural scene, attracting filmmakers, actors, and cinephiles from everywhere. Each year, the festival curates an impressive selection of thought-provoking documentaries and compelling feature films that reflect the diversity of the human experience.

“Each year, the Tahoe Film Fest gets bigger and brighter,” says Robert Roussel, film industry veteran and the founder of the Tahoe Film Fest.

Roussel's experience in the film industry made the work of producing a film festival feel familiar.

“Producing a film festival is like producing a film in that you have development, pre-production, and production,” says Roussel. “In other words, in development, we raise funding to produce the festival; in pre-production, we reach out to the studios and independent filmmakers to invite award-winning and provocative films; then production is the actual film festival itself when it all comes together on the screen in various theaters."

The Tahoe Film Fest has been a long-running hit because it has always had the three elements that make successful film festivals at its foundation.

“To be successful, film festivals need to have a beautiful location, high-quality films, and to make sure the filmmakers, directors, and actors who attend have a good time,” says Roussel.

Roussel has been working hard to make the Tahoe Film Fest successful by selecting award-winning films and bringing top talent to the North Lake Tahoe community.

“He is choosing films that are award winners at other film festivals like Cannes, Venice, and Sundance,” says Heather Segale, director of education and outreach for the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC), a Film Fest partner. “So, in our local venues, here in our small community, we have access to these amazing films that would not be shown here otherwise.”

“Robert is a driving force in the film industry, so to have him putting in time and effort to bring this festival to life in our small mountain town is such a boon for us,” says Kirstin Guinn Marketing Director for the North Tahoe Community Alliance and event partner North Tahoe Chamber.

The Tahoe Film Fest not only provides cultural opportunities that the community would not otherwise have, but it also brings in big-name visitors who can draw attention to this beautiful region.

“One very cool thing about the Film Fest is meeting the producers, directors, and actors that come to the festival. Including Ethan Cohen, who came to the screening of his film “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs in 2018,” says Segale.

For this year’s festival, actor Billy Zane is scheduled to attend the screening of his new film “Waltzing with Brando,” a film about Marlon Brando’s passion for the environment, along with Marlon Brando’s son Miko Brando.

While the Tahoe Film Fest features mainstream Hollywood movies like “Maestro” with Bradley Cooper and “Maria” with Angelina Jolie, the festival and its founder, Roussel, have environmentally focused origins.

“My grandfather, James Robert Fisher, cared deeply about the earth,” says Roussel. “He taught his grandchildren how to conserve, recycle, and save energy wherever possible. The man was truly ahead of his time.”

Roussel’s environmental background and visits to Lake Tahoe proved to be the catalyst for the Tahoe Film Fest.

“I have family that has lived in Incline Village since the 90s. While visiting one summer, I took a long hike, and later that day - I began to envision a type of environmental film festival,” says Roussel.

And that was the beginning of the Tahoe Film Fest.

“The films Robert programs into the Tahoe Film Fest are incredible and top-notch. That has been consistent from the start,” says Andy Chapman, president and CEO of event partner Travel North Tahoe Nevada. “The focus on environmental films in the festival helps shine a light on the work Travel North Tahoe Nevada and our partners are doing in the community to not only bring the films for entertainment value but to speak to the work being done locally to support the economy, the community, and environment.”

In addition to celebrating remarkable cinematic achievements, the Tahoe Film Fest is committed to supporting local businesses. As residents and visitors fill local hotels, restaurants, and shops before and after each film, they help to support and enhance the overall economic vitality of the North Lake Tahoe region.

“We see pickup across our business sectors, specifically surrounding the theater, but elsewhere during the course of the weekend,” says Guinn. “It is the classic paradigm of an event that benefits the community and brings people up to North Lake Tahoe during the slower time of early winter.”

Attendees to this year’s Tahoe Film Fest can look forward to films that address pressing social issues, celebrate artistic innovation, and entertain with powerful performances, knowing the money from their ticket purchases will support local science research and education outreach.

“Not only does the Tahoe Film Fest provide a cultural opportunity for the community and economic support for local businesses during the off-season, but proceeds from ticket sales support scientific research and educational outreach on and around Lake Tahoe,” says Segale. “Anytime someone buys a ticket, the proceeds go to the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.”

Tickets and a full list of films to be featured during the 10th Anniversary Tahoe Film Fest will be available starting November 5, 2024, at tahoefilmfest.com.

Join us in celebrating a decade of cinematic excellence and community spirit at the Tahoe Film Fest. We look forward to welcoming loyal attendees and newcomers to what promises to be an unforgettable experience!

The schedule can be found here: https://tahoefilmfest.com/schedule/.