VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTY REINVIGORATES FILM LOCATION PROMOTION
Visit Tuolumne County, the county’s Destination Marketing Organization and Film Commission, is renewing its focus on attracting destination filming. Initiatives include a new film website, an expanded community-sourced film resource guide, and a destination filming session at Visit Tuolumne County’s October 15th Tourism Summit. The session will be led by Matt Stiker of KHM, whose work includes 10 years with the San Francisco Film Commission and 25 years in destination promotion.
“Growing up here, I know how exciting it was when a production would come to town and the community would rally around it. We saw that a couple of years ago with the locally filmed Lowe’s commercial. We are aiming to bring that excitement and economic boost back to Tuolumne County through the film industry” stated Lisa Mayo, President & CEO for Visit Tuolumne County.
A film familiarization (fam) tour held September 25th-28th, 2026, is another piece of the plan to encourage more filming. VTC and partners hosted six location managers from around California including Los Angeles, San Diego, Monterey, and Sonoma. The group arrived in Sonora on Friday night, visiting key locations in Sonora, Columbia, Jamestown, Kennedy Meadows, Pinecrest, Twain Harte, Standard, Tuolumne, and Groveland. Special guests along the way shared film history, guidelines for filming in various jurisdictions and insights into past film projects.
“Having location managers experience our destination is key because they are seeing it through their own lens and they can envision how Tuolumne County could be a fit for an upcoming location need,” stated Mayo. She continued, “This group really loved the condition of upper Highway 108, not to mention the expansive beauty of that region.”
Mayo recently sat on a panel for a new Destinations International Film Workshop to discuss how the film and tourism industry go hand in hand. That workshop has inspired a new Destinations International “Film Group Coffee Chat” that will emphasize how film can further enhance and increase the economic impact of a destination.
If residents are interested in being part of the digital Tuolumne County Film Resource Guide, they should reach out to Mayo at lisa@gotuolumne.com and include contact information and what services they can provide to a film crew (i.e. catering, transportation, hair and make-up, sound, lighting, etc.). This new Film Resource Guide will become part of the new film website.
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Contacts:
Lisa Mayo, President & CEO Visit Tuolumne County, lisa@gotuolumne.com
Myrka Cringle, Marketing & Communications Manager, myrka@gotuolumne.com
