August 14, 2025
IN THIS ISSUE…
- Santa Cruz County Film Commission Reaches Out to Local Film Community to Offer Complimentary Website Listing
- County of Santa Cruz Adopts the Mills Act to Preserve Historic Buildings
- Is Your Business Green-Certified?
Santa Cruz County Film Commission Reaches Out to Local Film Community to Offer Complimentary Website Listing
The Santa Cruz County Film Commission, a department within Visit Santa Cruz County (VSCC) is updating local community-based information for its online site and is now accepting applications for listings. The mission of VSCC includes the promotion of Santa Cruz County as a film destination. Listings are complimentary; however businesses and freelancers must reside or have their business headquartered within Santa Cruz County and have experience working in the film industry.
The information presented on filminsantacruz.org provides production companies with a comprehensive listings of local crew, equipment rental and support services to utilize during commercial shoots, feature films, television series, music videos and other film projects if needed. While most film production companies bring their own team, there are times when additional resources are needed.
The film commission website also includes permitting information, weather and climate resources, a locations gallery and a list of production credits dating back to 1911’s The Feud.
Submissions for listings are ongoing.
Santa Cruz County is a favorite with commercial shoots and the destination has been featured in campaign launches and projects for Range Rover, ModCloth, Vans, Tesla, Volkswagen, Old Navy, Robert Talbott clothiers, Audi, Capital One and others. In2018, Santa Cruz made an appearance on the big screen twice, when Paramount Pictures’ Bumblebee and Netflix’s Bird Box brought a significant economic boost to the local economy. Total spend while filming in Santa Cruz
County was over $1.8 million, with $625,000 spent on local hotels to house crew and talent, resulting in over 2,700 room nights between the two productions. Three months later, in March 2019, Jordan Peele’s Us – a thriller centering around a family on vacation – debuted in theaters. The production, which filmed in the spring of 2018 generated $1,019,000 million in revenue to the region, including $389,000 in lodging and $223,000 in location fees and permits. Filming locations for all three productions included the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the Santa Cruz Wharf, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and Davenport.
To apply for a free listing, email the Santa Cruz County Film Commission your name, contact information, resume of work, and production credits. Use the subject line “Santa Cruz County Film Commission Listing Application.”
County of Santa Cruz Adopts the Mills Act to Preserve Historic Buildings
The County of Santa Cruz has adopted the Mills Act, enacted in 1973 by the State of California, to preserve historically significant residential neighborhoods, structures and the revitalization of downtown commercial districts.
Focusing on the restoration and preservation of qualified historic buildings by private property owners, it grants participating local governments (cities and counties) the authority to enter into contracts with owners of qualified historic properties who actively participate in the restoration and maintenance of their historic properties while receiving property tax relief. The tax break savings must to be used to maintain and restore their properties through a 10-year contract between the county and the property owner.
The Queen Anne designed Redman-Hirahara House, designed by William Weeks and built in 1897 in south county and Aptos’ 150-year old Bayview Hotel are two examples of historic properties in unincorporated areas that could benefit from the Mills Act.
Visit Santa Cruz County launched a Heritage Tourism Initiative in 2019 to promote culturally historic points of interest and activities within the region. The initiative has been absorbed by VSCC’s rebranding efforts, in which regional assets are represented by four destination pillars representing the county: Beaches, Forests, Agriculture and Arts and Culture.
Is Your Business Green-Certified?
What do Alta Organic Coffee Warehouse & Roasting Company, The Penny Ice Creamery, Capitola Wine Bar & Merchants, Charlie Hong Kong, S. Martinelli & Company, Fruition Brewing, Noland’s on the Wharf, Bookshop Santa Cruz and other local businesses have in common? They are all green certified!
The Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program is a partnership of environmental agencies, utilities and nonprofit organizations that assist local businesses with operating in a more environmentally responsible way. In Santa Cruz County, an incentives-based program encourages businesses to meet or exceed environmental standards.
The Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program in Santa Cruz County is a multi-component (soil, water and air) pollution prevention effort that creates a positive relationship between government, the public, and the business community. It is an incentives-based program designed to encourage businesses to meet or exceed environmental standards. Interested in getting your business green-certified? Click here!
VSCC Has a New Home!
Visit Santa Cruz County has moved into a new temporary visitor center (while a new visitor center is being redesigned) and permanent office space. The VSCC year-around visitor center and marketing offices can now be found at 705 and 725 Front Street respectively, adjacent to the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History and Abbott Square Market. More details to follow on the progress of the new visitor center experience!
Downtown POPS! Seeks Small Business Owners
The City of Santa Cruz is seeking businesses that are looking to open a brick and mortar location. Through Downtown POPS!, the City enters a master lease with downtown commercial property owners with vacant spaces on Pacific Avenue, provides a guaranteed minimum rent, and then sub-leases these spaces to various pop-up tenants for a six-month term. Lease terms are set at a percentage of monthly sales. Click here for more information.
Latest Coverage
Santa Cruz County tourism-related businesses were featured in Sunset magazine’s summer issue. “Insider” featured Hotel Paradox Autograph Collection by Marriott, Chaminade Resort + Spa, the La Bahia Hotel + Spa, Bad Animal, Bantam, Sea & Sand, Izakaya, The Apero Club and others as recommended places to visit on a getaway to the region. VSCC’s Communications Department assisted with securing this coverage.
Partner Kudos!
The Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley welcomes Aurora Smith as new Director of Sales and Marketing! The Seascape Beach Resort has a new Director of Sales, Rachel Carnahan: welcome, Rachel! Congratulations to Karley Pope, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, who has joined the California Travel Associations’ board of directors. Welcome to Dori Rose Inda, new Chief Executive Officer/Fair Manager of the Santa Cruz County Fair. The Santa Cruz Arts Council’s executive director Jim Brown has been appointed to the board of directors of California for the Arts. Cantine Wine Pub, Betty Burgers and Vim Dining and Desserts were awarded $5,000 resilience grants from the California Restaurant Association. Staff training, technology upgrades and unforeseen hardships are just a few things this grant can assist with. And a very Happy 80th Anniversary to Watsonville’s Prevedelli Farms, still family-owned and operated!
Did you know?
The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau is offering free placemats for countywide restaurants. With a print run of 30,000 pieces, these placemats celebrate local agriculture and feature the winning design from the 2025 National Ag Day Poster Contest, drawn by a grade schooler. The back of the placemat includes statistics about the Santa Cruz County ag industry. Contact Jess Brown for more information at 831.818.1193.