Writer/Director Finds Inspiration in Decaying Nevada Town for 'Sparks' Film

Fergus Campbell discusses filming the coming-of-age story in the titular town of Sparks, Nevada.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 3:36am

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While visiting Deadline's SXSW Studio, writer/director Fergus Campbell and the cast of the film 'Sparks' discussed finding inspiration in the small Nevada town of Sparks for their coming-of-age story. Campbell explained that he discovered Sparks and the nearby Gerlach reservoir while doing research in the Black Hawk Desert, and was drawn to the town's 'listless, atmospherically kind of vast' and 'decaying, romantic qualities' that would translate well to the film's setting.

Why it matters

The film 'Sparks' is a new coming-of-age story that explores themes of purpose, identity, and the search for meaning in a small, forgotten town. By choosing Sparks, Nevada as the backdrop, the filmmakers were able to capture a sense of isolation and longing that reflects the inner journeys of the characters.

The details

The film 'Sparks' follows Cleo, a newcomer to Sparks, Nevada, who discovers a cigarette vending machine that produces a book on French New Wave filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard. This sparks (no pun intended) Cleo's transformation into a cinephile, and she becomes convinced she can time travel to meet Godard in 1960s Paris. The film also centers around the Crop, a local group led by Antoine, who is enamored with Cleo but frustrated by her desire to escape their small-town life.

  • The film 'Sparks' premiered at the SXSW Film Festival on March 12, 2026.

The players

Fergus Campbell

The writer and director of the film 'Sparks'.

Elsie Fisher

An actress starring in 'Sparks'.

Charlie B. Foster

An actor starring in 'Sparks'.

Madison Hu

An actress starring in 'Sparks'.

Denny McAuliffe

An actor starring in 'Sparks'.

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What they’re saying

“I discovered Sparks, Nevada, through working with Lola, producer of the film, on research in the Black Hawk Desert, which is north of Sparks and Reno. And we fell in love with the reservoir, which is where half of the movie is set, which is in a small town called Gerlach, Nevada. So, we had to get to that area by driving through Reno and Sparks, and we had already decided that we were going to make a coming-of-age film, and I wanted to find somewhere that was kind of listless, atmospherically kind of vast, felt like somewhere you needed to escape, but also had kind of decaying, romantic qualities that would look good on camera. So, we just decided after one trip there … to make a movie that was set there.”

— Fergus Campbell, Writer/Director

The takeaway

By choosing the small, forgotten town of Sparks, Nevada as the setting for their coming-of-age film 'Sparks', the filmmakers were able to capture a sense of isolation and longing that reflects the inner journeys of the characters, creating a visually striking and emotionally resonant story.