Submissions are open for the 2026 Nevada City Film Festival. Now comes the flood of films - animation, shorts, documentaries - from around the world, says Jesse Locks, the festival’s Executive Director.
In 2025 the small committee tasked with decision making watched 297 hours worth of submissions before whittling down the event’s final lineup.
This year the focus will be on animation and the artists committed to that craft. But, as Locks points out, animation is expensive. And some filmmakers have been turning to artificial intelligence to cut costs. “Does that erode how we interact with reality, or does that enhance creativity,” Locks asks.
Films created with the use of AI are able to enter the festival. Locks says, “Ultimately, audiences are going to be the ones who decide if AI succeeds or fails in filmmaking.”