Roseville to Lake Tahoe Movies: Films to Watch This Holiday Season

Roseville, Calif.- Ever watch a movie or commercial scene and think to yourself, that looks familiar? With over four dozen movies filmed in Placer County, it just might be more than your imagination.

The holiday season can provide a little extra downtime to catch a movie or two with friends and family. While local movie theaters like Cinemark, Studio Movie Grill, Blue Oaks, and Regal UA offers Christmas Day showings and the latest in big screen Hollywood entertainment, explore and consider some options below for some hyper local fun!

Dozens of films

Placer County locations have played a part in dozens of films going all the way back to the 1920’s. That doesn’t include the countless commercials and photo shoots that includes some of the most popular names in entertainment.

Almost Famous, a Cameron Crowe classic about coming of age in the 1970s music world filmed its iconic scene on a quiet road in Lincoln. The clip remains one of our all-time favorites and features a sing along to Elton John’s Tiny Dancer.

Classic bus scene in Lincoln

In addition to small and colorful towns, Placer County is home to spectacular mountain views, color bursting sunsets and a myriad of amazing backdrops well suited to the entertainment industry.

Film crews can quickly shift between a suburban scene one day and a remote wilderness scene the next. The convenience can slice a studio’s productions time and costs significantly.

Filmed on Foresthill Bridge

Placer-Lake Tahoe Film Office

movie film

The Placer-Lake Tahoe Film Office assists in securing film permits at no charge, ensuring that all necessary approvals are obtained from government agencies. Typically, local law enforcement and fire protection agencies must sign off on a production, especially if explosives or firearms are used. If a production will take place on, or requires closing part of a roadway under state or county jurisdiction, the California Highway Patrol will be involved. Film production in any of California’s 270 state parks is usually free, but requires coordination with that agency. With an abundance of federal forestland in the county, the U.S. Forest Service is often involved in permitting.

To share information about possible scenery and locations, the Placer-Lake Tahoe Film Office maintains an extensive library of still photos showing the variety of locations the county has to offer.

The Godfather Part II in Homewood Lake Tahoe

FREE Film Permits

To see what Placer County has to offer for motion picture and still photography locations, visit the Film Office’s website. For additional information, contact the Film Office at: 530-889-4091, or toll free at: 877-228-3456.


Filmed in Placer County

  • THE ADVENTURES OF ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE Sheridan, Lincoln, Auburn, 2000
  • ALMOST FAMOUS Lincoln, 2000
  • A PLACE IN THE SUN Lake Tahoe, 1951
  • BEFORE THE DARK Auburn, Roseville, 2017
  • BREAKDOWN Auburn, Newcastle, 1997
  • BUSHWHACKED Foresthill, Lake Tahoe, 1995
  • CINEMA VERITE Auburn, 2011
  • COBB Lake Tahoe, 1994
  • THE DEEP END Lake Tahoe, 2001
  • DIGGSTOWN Roseville, Colfax, 1992
  • THE DONNER PARTY Norden, 2009
  • DRAGONFLY Foresthill, 2002
  • GENTLE BEN I & II Dutch Flat, Foresthill, 2002
  • GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE Foresthill, 1997
  • GODFATHER -PART II Lake Tahoe, 1974
  • GOLD RUSH Norden, 1925
  • GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Roseville, Granite Bay, 2005
  • GOOD LUCK Foresthill, 1996
  • GREED Colfax, Iowa Hill, 1924
  • HER Norden, Soda Springs, 2013
  • HOT DOG Squaw Valley, 1984
  • IMPULSE Lincoln, 1984
  • THE INDEPENDENT Colfax, 2000
  • JACKASS 3D Kingvale, 2010
  • JACK FROST Lake Tahoe, 1998
  • LAST WEEKEND Tahoe City, 2014
  • LOVE RANCH Donner Summit, 2010
  • MAMABOY Rocklin, 2017
  • MEET THE BLACKS Granite Bay, 2016
  • MI FAMILIA Auburn, 1995
  • THE MUPPETS Norden, Lincoln, 2011
  • THE NAVIGATOR Lake Tahoe, 1924
  • No Address, 2023
  • OUT OF THE PAST Lake Tahoe, 1947
  • THE PHANTOM Auburn, 1996
  • PHENOMENON Auburn, 1996
  • PROTOCOL Auburn, 1984
  • RETRIBUTION Granite Bay, 2000
  • ROSE MARIE Lake Tahoe, 1936
  • SALVATION Auburn, 2003
  • SENSORED Roseville, 2009
  • SOARIN’ Lake Tahoe, 2001
  • TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT Foresthill, Tahoe, 2000
  • TRUE LIES Lake Tahoe, 1994
  • THE TWO FACED WOMAN Sugar Bowl, 1941
  • VOWS OF DECEPTION, 1996
  • WHITE MILE Foresthill, 1994
  • WHO WILL LOVE MY CHILDREN Lincoln, 1983
  • WISDOM Auburn, 1986
  • XXX Auburn, 2002

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