Tahoe Film Fest
- Nov 30 - Dec 03, 2023
- Various Venues
- Website


Various times and locations
Tahoe Film Fest is a welcome addition to the cultural atmosphere in one of the most spectacular places to visit.
Those who live in and around Lake Tahoe respect their environment and there are countless organizations that exist to protect beautiful Lake Tahoe.
The premiere section of our programming are environmental films. We try to locate new and important environmental films to showcase as a way of not only educating our young people, but to celebrate the efforts of everyone who helps to maintain the beauty of such a pristine lake and its surroundings.
Tahoe Film Fest also celebrates a section of important American Independent Films, New Films from Latin America and award winning music documentaries.
All proceeds from Tahoe Film Fest benefit UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC).
Please follow us on Facebook for updates and information.
Join us for th 9th Annual Tahoe Film Fest. All proceeds benefit the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.
MAESTRO
2023 (USA) 129 minutes
Directed by: Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan deliver stunning
performances as Leonard Bernstein and his wife, actress Felicia
Montealegre, in this intimate portrait of a marriage that spanned
more than 25 years. Bernstein was an indispensable figure in
the history of classical music, as a conductor, composer, pianist,
and educator. Certainly, the dominant American conductor of
the late 20th century, he accomplished as much as anyone in
making “serious” music intelligible to a broad audience. With
breathtaking sweep, Maestro reflects on Bernstein’s life, career,
and marriage with Felicia, which endured through his many
liaisons. The film marks Cooper’s return to the director’s chair
following his triumphant A STAR IS BORN. Co-scripting with
Josh Singer, he’s also among its producers along with Martin
Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. Against an evolving film canvas
of black-and-white and color, his extraordinary portrayal captures
Bernstein’s bold and charismatic conducting style, animated by
music from the maestro himself.
2023 Venice Film Festival
2023 New York Film Festival
2023 AFI Film Festival
Incline Village Cinema – November 30 – 5:30pm
MAY DECEMBER
2023 (USA) 113 minutes
Directed by: Todd Haynes
In this sharp new romantic drama from director Todd Haynes, a sly battle of wills ensues when an actress (Natalie Portman) spends time with the housewife (Julianne Moore) she’s been hired to
portray: a former tabloid queen whose shocking affair with an underage schoolboy made headlines 20 years earlier. The onceillicit lovers are married now, with a couple of kids, but the legacy of the scandal still stirs up a tangled web of emotions. Where is the line between research and flirtation, between naiveté and delusion? Where does assumption end and judgment begin? No stranger to the complexity of relationships, Haynes of Far from Heaven and Carol fame, once again resists easy answers, instead offering plenty of stunning revelations, with family secrets revealed, surprise motivations surfaced, and audience expectations engrossingly subverted.
2023 Cannes Film Festival – Nominated Palme d’Or
2023 New York Film Festival
2023 Chicago International Film Festival
Incline Village Cinema – December 1 – 6:00pm
PERFECT DAYS
2023 (JAPAN) 125 minutes
Directed by: Wim Wenders
Kõji Yakusho mesmerizes as Hirayama, a contented middleaged
man living a structured life as a Tokyo toilet cleaner in Wim
Wenders’ poetic and contemplative new film. The drama weaves
together short stories that reveal how Hirayama’s deep passion
for music, books, and tree photography enriches his daily routine.
As the film elegantly unfolds, unexpected encounters add detail
to the façade of Hirayama’s generosity and simplicity. Wenders’
delicate filmmaking captures Tokyo’s essence through carefully
framed shots, enhancing the viewer’s connection with the city.
Music, mainly 1960s pop, becomes a narrative thread, reflecting
Hirayama’s emotional state. His moods resonate with classics from
Nina Simone and Van Morrison, the Animals’ “House of the Rising
Sun,” and even Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day.” It’s impossible not to
be engrossed by Yakusho’s captivating, subtle, and passionate
performance, for which he won the Best Actor award at this year’s
Cannes, where the film also deservedly won the Ecumenical Jury
Prize.
2023 Telluride Film Festival
2023 New York Film Festival
2023 Cannes Film Festival – Best Actor – Ecumenical Jury Prize –
Nominated – Palme d’Or
Incline Village Cinema – December 1 – 8:15pm
EILEEN
2023 (USA) 97 minutes
Directed by: William Oldroyd
Based on the book of the same name by bestselling author,
Ottessa Moshfegh and set during a bitter 1964 Massachusetts
winter, EILEEN is the story of a young secretary named Eileen
(Thomasin McKenzie) who becomes enchanted by Rebecca
(Anne Hathaway), the glamorous new counselor at the prison
where she works. Their budding friendship takes a twisted turn
when Rebecca reveals a dark secret — throwing Eileen onto a
sinister path. William Oldroyd’s EILEEN is a neo-noir that upends
audience expectations with each new twist and turn, leading to
jaw-dropping revelations and an unforgettable finale.
2023 Sundance Film Festival
2023 Savannah Film Festival
Northstar Village Cinema – December 2 – 6:00pm
THE TASTE OF THINGS
2023 (FRANCE) 145 minutes
Directed by: Tran Anh Hung
Trần Anh Hùng won Best Director at Cannes for this sumptuous
and impossibly romantic film that pays tribute to love, food, and
joie de vivre. Based on a Marcel Rouff novel, The Taste of Things
stars Juliette Binoche as Eugénie, a renowned 19th-century chef
who partners with the gourmet Dodin (Benoît Magimel) to create
gustatory pleasures. They’ve become lovers over the years, but
Eugénie refuses to marry him, citing a desire to maintain her
independence. That tension brings additional spice to a film
inclined to linger over delicious dishes, charting a nuanced and
touching relationship between strong-willed, deeply affectionate
individuals with intertwined yet separate lives. Trần (The Scent
of Green Papaya, Norwegian Wood) deftly presents this culinary
world as a reminder of how our passions give us meaning. The
cast is superb, with Binoche especially divine as a witty, elegant
cook who sees in every meal the possibility for creativity and
personal expression. No wonder Dodin adores Eugénie so —
viewers will feel the same.
2023 Cannes Film Festival – Best Director –
Nominated – Palme d’Or
Official Selection from France in the Best International Feature
Film category for the 2024 Academy Awards.
Incline Village Cinema – December 2 – 6:00pm
THE SHADOW OF THE SUN
2023 (VENEZUELA, USA) 100 minutes
Directed by: Miguel Angel Ferrer
Leo is a worker with a rocker past. Plagued by his debts, he does
anything to stay afloat. One day, Álex, his deaf brother, offers him
to participate in a musical contest. Forced by circumstances, Leo
must take a leap of faith, unearth his talent and do the impossible
to change his present and his brother’s future by uniting his voices
on an unforgettable journey.
2023 Monterrey International Film Festival – Best Film
Official Selection from Venezuela in the Best International Feature
category for the 2024 Academy Awards.
Incline Village Cinema – December 3 – 6:00pm
EXTRAPOLATIONS
2023 (USA) 4 60-minute episodes
Directed by: Scott Z. Burns
This series from Apple TV+ is a bracing drama from writer, director and executive director Scott Z. Burns that introduces a near future where the chaotic effects of climate change have become embedded into our everyday lives. Four interwoven stories about love, work, faith and family from across the globe will explore the intimate, life-altering choices that must be made when the planet is changing faster than the population. Every episode is different, but the fight for our future is universal. And when the fate of humanity is up against a ticking clock, the battle between courage and complacency has never been more urgent. Are we brave enough to become the solution to our own undoing before it’s too late? Scott Z. Burns is a screenwriter, director, producer, and playwright. His work in film includes producing An Inconvenient Truth, as well as An Inconvenient Sequel and Sea Of Shadows. Burns’ writing credits include The Bourne Ultimatum, The Informant!, Contagion, Side Effects and The Laundromat. Burns’ credits as a director include PU-239 and The Report. On stage, Burns’ play The Library was produced at The Public Theater and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New American Play. Scott Z. Burns will be present to introduce this series as well as participate with a Q & A afterward.
2037: A RAVEN STORY
Directed by: Scott Z. Burns
As nations fight over the Earth’s fate, Rebecca (Sienna
Miller), Marshall (Daveed Diggs), and Junior (Matthew
Rhys) all see their plans go up in smoke.
Incline Village Cinema – December 9 – 2:00pm
2046: WHALE FALL
Directed by: Scott Z. Burns
Rebecca, a marine biologist, strives to connect with a
humpback whale (voiced by Meryl Streep) before it’s
too late.
Incline Village Cinema – December 9 – 3:00pm
2047: THE FIFTH QUESTION
Directed by: Gregory Jacobs
As Miami’s waters rise, Rabbi Zucker gets an intriguing
offer from the father (David Schwimmer) of a young
woman preparing for her bat mitzvah.
Incline Village Cinema – December 10 – 2:00pm
2066: LOLA
Directed by: Scott Z. Burns
Natasha (Gemma Chan), a single Mom in London,
braves the world of artificial companionship, until she
rents a partner (Tahar Rahim) she can’t forget.
Incline Village Cinema – December 10 – 3:00pm
COMMON GROUND
2023 (USA) 105 minutes
Directed by: Josh Tickell
A striking wake-up call for the entire world, this dramatic and
gorgeously shot doc focuses on the power of regenerative
farming to transform the Earth, and how soil health is the key
to all health. Filmmakers Rebecca and Josh Tickell dig into
the impact contemporary agriculture has on everyday lives,
with celebrities including Laura Dern, Jason Momoa, Rosario
Dawson, Woody Harrelson, and Donald Glover introducing us to
farmers, scientists, and concerned citizens on the literal ground
working to save the planet. The film delves into the financial and
political drivers behind farming decisions, including a look at
the unsettling racial history of American agriculture, the role of
government lobbyists, and the influence of chemical companies
like Monsanto. Ultimately it delivers a hopeful message as a
growing number of innovative farmers find strategies to not only
produce nutritional food, but also revive our faltering ecosystem.
2023 Tribeca Film Festival – Winner Human/Nature Award
Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – December 2 – 4:00pm
Northstar Village Cinema – December 1 – 6:00pm
DEEP RISING
2023 (USA) 93 minutes
Directed by: Matthieu Rytz
Director Matthieu Rytz presents a fascinating and compelling documentary about secret organizations mining metals in the sea floor, for use in green technology. As the world seeks solutions for the climate crisis, battery-powered vehicles have emerged as a key component to the solution. But these large batteries need valuable metals, and corporations are turning to deep sea mining in the Pacific Ocean to get these lucrative deposits. Deep Rising follows a mining startup as it attempts to open up swaths of the ocean floor to mining. Featuring incredible ocean photography alongside thought-provoking geopolitical, scientific, and corporate discussions, Rytz’s newest documentary examines every side of the green energy revolution. Narrated by Jason Momoa, Deep Rising illuminates the vital relationship between the deep ocean and sustaining life on Earth.
2023 Sundance Film Festival
Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – December 2 – 2:00pm
THE MISSION
2023 (USA) 103 minutes
Directed by: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss
John Chau, a young American missionary, went missing in 2018
while attempting to contact one of the world’s most isolated
indigenous peoples on remote North Sentinel Island. Longtime
collaborators and Emmy Award-winning directors Amanda
McBaine and Jesse Moss uncover the gripping story through
exclusive interviews and unprecedented access to Chau’s secret
plans, personal diaries, and video archives. THE MISSION deftly
examines the eternal mythology of exploration that inspired him,
the evangelical community that supported his quest, and Chau’s
father’s heartbreak when a youthful thirst for adventure became a
dangerous obsession. A National Geographic release.
2023 Telluride Film Festival
2023 BFI London Film Festival
Incline Village Cinema – December 2 – 8:30pm
A GREAT DIVIDE
2023 (USA) 89 minutes
Directed by: Tom Donahue
There is perhaps no more polarizing subject in American politics
than the discussion around how to resolve our issues of gun
violence and gun control throughout the country. An all-out
war between rural vs. urban, left vs. right, and red states vs.
blue states has been waged by politicians, lobbyists, and media
outlets intent on making their point of view heard and felt — yet
the country is no closer to finding a middle ground. “The Great
Divide” takes on the hot-button topic by examining the origins of
violence in America, from its roots in slavery and Native American
genocide to the modern-day epidemic of mass shootings. The
so-called red flag laws, also known as Extreme Risk Protection
Orders, allow the state to restrict access or even remove firearms
from people deemed a risk by “family or household member or
a law enforcement officer established by clear and convincing
evidence that a person poses a significant risk to self or others by
having a firearm in his or her custody.”
2023 Aspen Film Festival
2023 RiverRun Film Festival
Incline Village Cinema – December 2 – 4:00pm
RATHER
2023 (USA) 95 minutes
Directed by: Frank Marshall
Frank Marshall’s incisive documentary is a long-overdue tribute
to an icon of journalism, a late-in-life Twitter superstar, a father,
husband, and a voice of reason, compassion, and brilliance: Dan
Rather. To older generations, his name may be synonymous
with quality journalism and stalwart diplomacy, but to younger
audience members unfamiliar with his career, Rather provides
the opportunity to travel back in time through his remarkable
experiences and sharp-witted commentary. From his days
embedded in the Vietnam War to his on-the-ground coverage of
JFK’s assassination to his presence at the foot of the Berlin Wall
as it fell, Dan Rather has reported on an astonishing number of
iconic moments in history. Now, as a 92-year-old reflecting on
seven decades of service and looking to the future of democracy,
we meet a man freed from the auspices of any overarching
network or deadline — a big-hearted human fueled by a tireless
work ethic and dedication to the truth. Sprinkled with deadpan
humor and often with a tear in his eye, Rather narrates the stories
that define both him as a person and our nation’s alternately
shameful and celebratory recent past.
2023 Tribeca Film Festival
Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – December 2 – 6:30pm
THE SPACE RACE
2023 (USA) 91 minutes
Directed by: Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and Lisa Cortés
From National Geographic Documentary Films comes The Space
Race, an emotive and educational exploration of the experiences
of the first Black astronauts. Featuring candid interviews from
Ed Dwight, Guion Bluford, Charles Bolden, and Victor Glover,
the documentary spotlights the oft-omitted racial injustice
narratives and present-day realities of these pioneers. This film
weaves together archival footage of U.S. space expeditions,
Afrofuturist cultural milestones, and stories told by Black
astronauts into an enlightening dialogue about the expectations
placed on trailblazers. Tackling defining moments of American
history, from the Kennedy assassination to the Space Shuttle
Challenger disaster to the George Floyd uprising, these dynamic
discussions posit new meditations on the fight for equality. As
the documentary transverses space and decades, it encourages a
reclamation of the past as a way to create a limitless future.
2023 Tribeca Film Festival
2023 Chicago International Film Festival
Incline Village Cinema – December 3 – 2:00pm
LAKOTA NATION VS.UNITED STATES
2022 (USA) 120 minutes
Directed by: Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli
From National Geographic Documentary Films comes The Space
Race, an emotive and educational exploration of the experiences
of the first Black astronauts. Featuring candid interviews from
Ed Dwight, Guion Bluford, Charles Bolden, and Victor Glover,
the documentary spotlights the oft-omitted racial injustice
narratives and present-day realities of these pioneers. This film
weaves together archival footage of U.S. space expeditions,
Afrofuturist cultural milestones, and stories told by Black
astronauts into an enlightening dialogue about the expectations
placed on trailblazers. Tackling defining moments of American
history, from the Kennedy assassination to the Space Shuttle
Challenger disaster to the George Floyd uprising, these dynamic
discussions posit new meditations on the fight for equality. As
the documentary transverses space and decades, it encourages a
reclamation of the past as a way to create a limitless future.
2023 Tribeca Film Festival
2023 Chicago International Film Festival
Incline Village Cinema – December 2 – 2:00pm
CARLOS
2023 (USA) 87 minutes
Directed by: Rudy Valdez
At the age of 5, in his native Mexico, he learned to play the violin.
At 8, he developed a lifelong love for the guitar. At 14, he honed
those guitar virtuoso skills and his performance style working as
a street musician, starting his own band not long after while still
a teenager. And at 22 – just before his first album was released
to acclaim – Carlos Santana became one of the major discoveries
of Woodstock, anchoring the famous festival’s second afternoon
on August 16, 1969. A music industry legend for 50 years and a
10-time Grammy winning global sensation, as well as a recipient
of a Kennedy Center Honor and a Billboard Century Award,
Santana continues to be one of the music world’s premiere artists,
blending jazz, blues, and the Mariachi sound with rock n’ roll
spirituality and a sense of connection to music’s primal connection
to our deepest emotions. The electric documentary CARLOS
utilizes new interviews with Santana and his family alongside
extraordinary, never-before-seen archival footage – including
home video recordings Santana himself made; concert footage;
and behind-the scenes moments – as two time Emmy winning
director Rudy Valdez creates an intimate, rich documentary about
a man whose sound casts a spell on fans who love – as one of
Santana’s famous titles says – “how his rhythm goes.”
2023 Tribeca Film Festival
Incline Village Cinema – November 30 – 8:00pm
SAN FRANCISCO SOUNDS: A PLACE IN TIME
2023 (USA) – Episode 1 – 71 minutes – Episode 2 – 74 minutes
Directed by: Alison Ellwood and Anoosh Tertzakian
San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time is a two-part docu-series
that celebrates the musical and artistic renaissance that exploded
in the San Francisco Bay Area from the mid-sixties to the
mid-seventies. Told through first-hand accounts of artists who
lived it, the series explores the creative spirit that led to the
emergence of psychedelic rock music, light shows and poster
art; the origin of the rock concert with the Filmore and Avalon
ballrooms; the birth of “freeform” radio; and the new rock
journalism that defined a generation – and generations to come.
The series is an intricately crafted musical journey that weaves
personal stories with never-before-seen archival footage, photos
and audio. Featuring the music of Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother
and the Holding Company, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead,
Steve Miller, Moby Grape, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, the
Doobie Brothers and many more.
Courtesy of Apple TV
Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – December 2 – 6:00pm (Episode 1) & 7:30pm (Episode 2)
JOAN BAEZ: I AM A NOISE
2023 (USA) 113 minutes
Directed by: Miri Navasky, Maeve O’Boyle, Karen O’Connor
In her 20s, Joan Baez was the undisputed queen of folk music,
one of the first people to recognize Bob Dylan’s talent and
record his songs (the two would also make another kind of music
together for a while), and someone who used her rising celebrity
to fight for civil rights and justice and against the war in Vietnam.
This entrancing documentary takes a long look back at Baez’s
wild ride while following the longtime San Mateo County resident
on her 2018/2019 Fare Thee Well Tour. The final Baez standing
after the deaths of her two sisters and her parents, Baez gives an
account not just of her singular life of art and activism but also
spins a complicated family story. Music, archival material, and
oral history combine for a stunning glimpse into the voice of a
generation.
2023 Berlin International Film Festival
2023 South by Southwest Film Festival
2023 San Francisco International Film Festival
Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – November 30 – 8:00pm
LET THE CANARY SING
2023 (USA) 96 minutes
Directed by: Alison Ellwood
Cyndi Lauper anxiously rides in the backseat of a car stuck in
New York City traffic. In her distinctively thick New York accent,
she reflects on her career, saying “I didn’t want anyone to tell
me what I could and couldn’t do.” On her longevity and unique
ability to adapt to shifting social trends, she says “I never think
of it as reinvention. I want to learn.” Alison Ellwood’s spirited
documentary Let the Canary Sing takes the audience on a
nostalgic exploration of the life and career of legendary pop
icon Cyndi Lauper, with a boisterous narrative anchored by the
inimitable Lauper herself. The film traverses her upbringing in a
lower-class Queens neighborhood through her rebellious youth
pushing back against intolerance, all the way to her meteoric
rise in the music scene crafting classic songs that are vibrant and
catchy as well as socially resonant. Ellwood presents a revealing
and honest Lauper alongside lively archival footage of her cheeky
personality and many absorbing performances through the years.
The result is a film that captures Lauper’s body of work as an
outspoken feminist artist who has been a stalwart advocate and
champion for others.
2023 Tribeca Film Festival
2023 Edinburgh International Film Festival
Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – December 1 – 6:30pm
IMMEDIATE FAMILY
2022 (USA) 102 minutes
Directed by: Denny Tedesco
From Denny Tedesco, the award-winning director of The Wrecking
Crew!, comes a new documentary charting the journey of a group
of close friends who became the premiere studio band for the
musical icons of the ’70s and beyond. They may not be as familiar
as the stars they collaborated with, but you’ll find their names in
the liner notes of many favorite albums of the singer-songwriter
era. These five talented musicians — Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar,
Waddy Wachtel, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, and Steve Postell
— musically clicked together and became the coveted session
players for a new generation of hitmakers. Interviewees include
their collaborators James Taylor, Don Henley, Lyle Lovett, Jackson
Browne, Phil Collins, Carole King, Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards,
Steve Jordan, and dozens more who take us behind the scenes on
the songs that shaped an era. This is the up-close-and-personal
story of the artists who shunned the spotlight but loved being on
the road and in the studio with their heroes, steering the course
of musical history to this day.
2023 Boulder International Film Festival – Best Documentary
2023 Calgary International Film Festival – Audience Award
Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – December 1 – 8:30pm
LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S BLACK & BLUES
2022 (USA) 106 minutes
Directed by: Sacha Jenkins
Musician and documentary filmmaker Sacha Jenkins accessed the personal archive of legendary jazz trumpeter and singer Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. Tapping into Louis’ own audio recordings, representing a meticulous account of his personal life, Jenkins offers insights into the man behind the music-his private conversations juxtaposed with his public persona as one of the most famous musicians and performers in the world. Archival footage and a soundtrack containing some of Satchmo’s bestknown songs and performances bring Louis to life and show him as a barrier-breaking Black entertainer who navigated the times he lived in to keep at his craft over a 50+-year career.
Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room – December 3 – 6:00pm