The new initiative, a first in the Hi Desert, is being pioneered through the direct funding support of the Lombardo Family and Soroptimist International of Yucca Valley. The two $500 micro-grants will help bring new film projects to our community.
The Joshua Tree Film Office, in partnership with the Yucca Valley Film Festival, is launching its first two micro grants with the clear objective of creating new opportunities for independent and emerging filmmakers. The initiative also aims to create a direct connection between supporting filmmakers and benefiting the community, giving filmmakers access to our region as the backdrop for their next productions.
The Lombardo Family Grant and the Soroptimist International Yucca Valley Grant will each provide $500 to an eligible filmmaker previously selected by the Yucca Valley Film Festival. The Soroptimist grant will specifically support a female filmmaker.
The initiative continues a story that began in 2018, when then Mayor of Yucca Valley Dr. Bob Lombardo welcomed Matt Beurois’s project for a local film festival and connected him with Town staff. Eight years later, the Lombardo Family is helping take that effort into a new phase by supporting filmmakers who want to actually film in Yucca Valley.
The grants are more than only a $500 wire. Recipients will receive practical support from the Joshua Tree Film Office, including assistance with locations, filming permits, local crew and talent, accommodations, local services, and publicity.
There is one key requirement: at least one scene, representing a minimum of one page of the completed script, must be filmed within the Yucca Valley ZIP code.
The goal is simple: welcome our esteemed festival alumni back to the desert, put local resources to work, and create new connections between these filmmakers and the Yucca Valley community.
Grant applications open September 1, 2026 and close November 27, 2026. Recipients will be announced before the end of 2026.