Events

A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER TODD NELSON: 2025 started off with the fires. Now A.I. is coming for your job, if the layoffs and mergers don’t get to it first. It’s been a tough year to be making it in Hollywood. But since 1992, your Nebraska Coast has had your back. Every month, for over 30 years without fail, we meet in person at the Hollywood Salon. Real connections that keep you plugged in and turned on to a community that sticks together. In all kinds of weather. Squarest & fairest. Our biggest Salon of the year is our Holiday Party. At my home in Pasadena. And normally we sell tickets to help with the costs. But this year, I’m inviting you and your friends for absolutely FREE. We want you there! No excuses. (Now if you weren’t burned out or laid off and you want to express your gratitude with a donation, we’ll be happy to help you contribute a few bucks or a couple hours to the cause.) This is the time to gather together. Circle the wagons. We all need this party more than ever. The NCC has been here for you for three decades. Now we […]

It’s your time to shine! We invite you to participate in our annual three-minute film festival that celebrates you! Whether your work is polished or playful, personal or unexpected, this is the Salon to share what you’ve been up to. Show up. Show off. Wow us. Share your media or perform live. (And if you need a bit more time, you can borrow extra minutes from someone not sharing). It’s a fast paced fun evening where we all get to know each other’s talents. Join us & let your creativity unfurl, three minutes at a time. The first Salon of 2026 is Monday, January 12th at 8pm. We’ll bring the popcorn.

JON BOKENKAMP is from Kearney, Nebraska, and continues to work and create in both Nebraska and California. He created & served as an executive producer on the NBC drama THE BLACKLIST. Most recently he created The LAST FRONTIER for AppleTV. Bokenkamp’s feature film work includes THE CALL for Halle Berry, TAKING LIVES for Angelina Jolie, and PERFECT STRANGER for Halle Berry & Bruce Willis. Jon attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where he received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts, before graduating with honors from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Bokenkamp is also the founder and creative director of the World Theater arthouse in Kearney. Join us for an intimate evening of conversation as we bring Jon back from Nebraska to meet with you in LA. We promised to do so at his last Salon, which took place at The Carson Center in Lincoln, NE. Join us as Jon shares insights from his journey as a writer and showrunner, reflections on sustaining a series over multiple seasons, and thoughts on the evolving landscape of television storytelling. We look forward to gathering in community for a lively, thoughtful exchange - now live in Los Angeles! We look forward to […]

SUZANNE LLOYD is an American film archivist, producer, and preservation advocate best known as the granddaughter and devoted legacy steward of silent picture legend, Harold Lloyd. She is bringing some of Harold’s restored short films to share with us, including his private and rare home movies. Born in the small town of Burchard, Nebraska, Harold carried his Midwestern grit and optimism to the heights of Hollywood. Growing up surrounded by stories, memorabilia, and cinematic heritage, Suzanne developed a deep personal and professional commitment to preserving her grandfather’s work. Harold was one of the first “Coast Connections” who came to Hollywood, becoming one of the great pioneers of silent comedy alongside Chaplin and Keaton. He was known for his iconic “Glasses Character” and death-defying stunts in pictures such as SAFETY LAST! As president of the HAROLD LLOYD TRUST, Suzanne has overseen restorations, new releases, and special screenings worldwide. Through public appearances, documentaries, and collaborations with film institutions, she bridges past and present—transforming her grandfather’s silent-era brilliance into a living legacy for new generations. We look forward to connecting with you at the Salon next Monday, March 9th!

This month’s guest is a trailblazing force in television comedy, coming off his recent run as a writer on WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS —one of the sharpest, most acclaimed comedies on television today. With a career defined by impactful shows, he brings behind-the-scenes insight to YOU. Celebrated by peers and recognized with multiple Emmy nominations, his perspective promises to motivate & inspire! Join us in TWO WEEKS at Catcher in the Rye bar on Monday, April 13th! SAM JOHNSON launched his comedy career at National Lampoon in the early 1990s before quickly breaking into TV with BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD. A proud graduate of Omaha Central, Johnson has gone on to build a wildly successful, decades-spanning career at the very top of television comedy. He has most recently contributed to the Emmy-nominated WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, where his signature wit continues to be an integral force in today’s comedy landscape.   Teaming up with longtime creative partner Chris Marcil, he helped shape a generation of smart, offbeat TV, writing for THE ADVENTURES OF PETE & PETE and co-creating the pilot for the cult-favorite DARIA. The duo then brought their sharp comedic voice to NEWSRADIO, cementing their reputation […]

MARG HELGENBERGER was born & raised in North Bend, NE. She attended Kearney St. College, before graduating from Northwestern University in 1982. Marg’s career has spanned four decades, (so far;), beginning with the ABC TV soap opera RYAN’S HOPE. After that, she moved to Primetime, where she starred in the Vietnam War drama, CHINA BEACH, for which she received the EMMY AWARD for best supporting actress in 1990. Marg has worked in countless television movies, series, mini-series, & feature films. Highlights include CSI:CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, for which she starred in for 12 seasons, & received two EMMY, & two GOLDEN GLOBE nominations. In 2004, the cast of CSI, received the Screen Actor’s Guild award for best ensemble. Film highlights include; ERIN BROKOVICH, MR. BROOKS, IN GOOD COMPANY, A DOG’S JOURNEY, SPECIES, ALWAYS, THE COWBOY WAY, among others. In June, Marg will be performing in the new play, A DEAL PICKED JUST FOR YOU, at the Durango, CO New Works Festival. Catch the Hollywood Salon IN PERSON! You’ll hear from an Emmy award-winning actor with a four-decade career! Meet Marg and connect with your community! These gatherings are vital to move our careers forward - we’re strongest when we come together, […]

JAMES FOUCHÉ is a creative-tech production leader with more than 14 years of experience spanning AAA games, live-service operations, film and television visual effects, XR, and emerging production technologies. With a career built at the intersection of storytelling, large-scale content pipelines, and technical innovation, he has led multidisciplinary teams across some of the entertainment industry’s most recognizable franchises and productions. After earning a degree from University of Nebraska-Lincoln in film criticism, he began his career in visual effects at Digital Domain, contributing to major feature films including THE AVENGERS, MALEFICENT, and X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. Over the course of his career, James has evolved from VFX coordination and production into executive leadership roles across entertainment technology and interactive media. He has served as a VFX Producer, VP of Production, co-founder of a VR/AR studio, and most recently Senior Producer at TREYARCH, where he led production across Weapons, Characters, Vehicles, Animation, and 2D Art for the CALL OF DUTY franchise. At TREYARCH, James managed large-scale live-ops content ecosystems involving more than 20,000 assets and animations while overseeing cross-functional teams and external development partners. He also designed and implemented proprietary production tracking systems integrating Autodesk pipeline tools, metadata workflows, and AI/ML-ready […]

FACÉ (pronounced Fah-Seh) is a talent manager, producer, and theatrical agent with more than two decades of experience representing actors, models, and filmmakers. A former street dancer and performer, Facé appeared in music videos, commercials, television, and film before discovering his passion for developing talent. While serving as a legal guardian for young actors on set, he began mentoring performers and later became an Assistant Personal Talent Manager with Kreative Talent Services (KTS) under Personal Talent Manager Pat Barnes. In 2003, Facé founded Face2Face Entertainment Model & Talent Management, where he helped develop and guide the careers of actors and models, many of whom continue to work successfully in the industry today. He later launched Face2Face Productions to create opportunities through projects written by, directed by, and starring the talent he represents. In 2013, Facé joined 90210 Talent as a SAG-franchised theatrical agent and Head of the Commercial Department. After nearly three successful years, he returned to management to better support his clients’ creative careers, founding ATM Anchor Talent Management in 2016. Facé believes in an individualized, hands-on approach to career development, helping each client build a path aligned with their unique goals and vision. As he puts it, “ATM […]

We’re supporting NCCer Claudia Coloma by holding a trivia night fundraiser before the Salon on Monday, August 10th. Hosted by the founder of A to Z Trivia, Aaron Zober and The Nebraska Coast. Come at 7pm for a lightning round of trivia about our previous special guests and to support our comrade. Suggested donation is $10+. Donate to her GoFundMe here. To play, show us your donation receipt. Thank you!

ERICA TREMBLAY writes and directs on AMC's DARK WINDS & directs on LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. Previously, Erica was a Co-Producer on RESERVATION DOGS at FX, where she directed her first and second episodes of television. Erica is a Native American filmmaker from the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. Her first feature film, Fancy Dance, starring Academy Award Nominee Lily Gladstone, premiered in competition at Sundance in 2023 and was acquired by Apple Original Films where it was released in 2024. Erica began her career in 2007 after moving to Lincoln, Nebraska, where she made her first documentary film, TINY RED UNIVERSE (2007), serving as writer and director. The short film aired on IFC. In 2012, Tremblay released HEARTLAND: A PORTRAIT OF SURVIVAL. The documentary was shown at the Omaha Film Festival, and at the St. Louis International Film Festival. She has also worked closely with grassroots organizations like the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center and Wica Agli, using film as a tool for advocacy on issues such as violence against Indigenous women and restorative justice.

ERIC KONIGSBERG is from OMAHA, NE & is a former reporter for The New York Times and a longtime contributor to many magazines, including The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, The Atlantic, New York, Tin House, GQ, Vogue, and Rolling Stone. Eric is the author of the critically acclaimed book BLOOD RELATION, about his uncle, the Mafia hit man Harold (Kayo) Konigsberg. His stories in The New Yorker have been finalists for the National Magazine Award (for feature writing) and the Livingston Award for Young Journalists (for national reporting). At the Times, he was part of a team whose coverage of the Bernard Madoff scandal was nominated (in the category for "breaking news") for the Gerald Loeb Awards for Business Reporting. His work has been anthologized or cited in several collections, including the Best American Essays and Best American Magazine Writing series. He is currently adapting BLOOD RELATION for television, and his 2018 article in Vanity Fair, THE CHAIRMEN, is being developed as a feature film, which Alexander Payne will direct. He is at work on a novel.

SERIINA COVARRUBIAS is a Mexican American screenwriter, director, and producer based in Altadena, California. Born in Arizona and raised in Alaska, she brings a distinct voice shaped by diverse landscapes and communities. Her work spans art house features and comedy, and most recently, vertical microdrama. She continues to pioneer the microdrama space with fresh, emotionally grounded takes including SHE FELL FROM SPACE, one of the first hybrid vertical microdrama and movie projects of its kind and one of the first sci-fi entries in the space, now streaming on the Inverted app and drawing 1.2 million global views on TikTok and Pine Drama in its first week of release. The film is currently nominated for multiple Best Sci-Fi Short awards and took home Best Art Direction at Shock-A-Go-Go Film Fest. Additionally, FROM NBA DROPOUT TO TENNIS ACE is a sports branded microdrama with Embr Entertainment that has premiered on FlexTV, and continues to work with new cutting edge platforms like TikTok. She has also written for Inkitt and Dramapops, streaming platforms for vertical microdramas and short films. Her award-winning feature IN-BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS AND THE OCEAN, which she wrote and directed, has been picked up for distribution by Cardinal XD and […]