SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Lake Tahoe Documentary Film Fest (LTDFF) is entering its second year, after its inauguration in 2024. Executive director of the festival Michelle Ficara spoke with the Tribune on why she was inspired to start a festival, what’s in store this year and what she hopes it will become.
Ficara was a filmmaker for 15 years—her interest in the medium started when she was in the Peace Corps. “I was recognizing a disconnect between where I was with the Peace Corps community and my family back home, so I turned to filmmaking to help people understand,” she said. She decided to pursue a master’s degree in film to help share stories through that art.
“Film, and especially documentary, is such a strong medium. It allows you to delve into a story and follow it as it goes through that arc—it cultivates empathy in a unique way,” said Ficara. While she says she had always thought about film festivals and their importance, she surprised even herself by deciding to launch LTDFF at this point in her career.
“I wanted to do something community-focused, especially for my kids,” said Ficara. “Tahoe needs a cultural gathering space, and this festival and film can bring people together and give them access to diverse perspectives.”
The festival, which is scheduled for April 17–19, 2026, was curated by Ficara and a screening committee of nine other locals from Tahoe to Reno. “I wanted these curated stories to be for my community, where I live and raise my children,” said Ficara. Now officially a nonprofit, LTDFF is supported by partners PBS Reno, the Tahoe Chamber, Lake Tahoe Community College and Margaritaville, where the festival will be hosted. After the closure of Heavenly Village Cinemas, the last remaining movie theater in town, Ficara says the ability to host these films is more important than ever.
“We’re aspiring towards these long-standing festivals like Mountain Film Festival in Telluride or Wild and Scenic Film Festival in Nevada County,” said Ficara. “I wanted this festival to take place in the shoulder season to show we have cultural and arts programming to offer as well.” Still, it can be challenging for regional film festivals to get off the ground—which is why these first five years are some of the most critical.
Curated from 450 submissions, the festival offers access to 74 films, with 15 local filmmakers featured throughout the weekend. Matt Kauffmann of Treefort Design (who’s painted several murals around town) will be doing a live art display, inspired by the films, at the hub of the festival—where people are encouraged to meet and chat about what they’ve just seen. Ficara said, “We were looking for films that light up the soul and keep the conversation going beyond the credits.”
There will be two free community screenings. One highlights local filmmakers, such as the creators of “In the Tracks of Snowshoe Thompson”, a modern retracing of the skiing postman’s route. The other one highlights “The Paradise Paradox,” a film addressing suicide and mental health in mountain communities, which will be followed by a mental health mixer to keep conversations going.
LTDFF is also bringing the films and filmmakers to South Tahoe High School and Mt. Tallac prior to the festival. “Having filmmakers here gives them an opportunity to share their stories with their audiences in a more tangible way, to connect with the people who connect with their films,” said Ficara. Over 20 filmmakers will be present in-person for the festival for post-screening Q&As. One exciting guest will be Gloria Clayborne, wife of renowned jazz pianist Junior Mance, whose love story is told in “Sunset and the Mockingbird.”
“These films have the potential to change someone—to affect someone at their core,” said Ficara. “You can’t measure that.”
Ficara hopes that each year can be unique, adapting the programming based on community needs. She also hopes to expand the festival, making this a flagship while expanding programming throughout the year and making it more accessible throughout town. In the future, she also believes they could start an artist residency and mentorship—where filmmakers could come to be inspired by nature, have time and space to work on their films, share works-in-progress with the community and offer mentorship opportunities while in Tahoe.
“This is what I’m excited about right now,” said Ficara. “We’re figuring out sustainability because I’m committed to making this grow.”
You can learn more about the LTDFF (and purchase passes or individual tickets) at ltdff.org.
Want to hear more from Ficara? You can listen to our episode of Tahoe TAP here.
