(NORTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nevada) � Many would say that North Lake Tahoe oughta be in pictures, and they would be right. In addition to adventurous souls and mountain solace seekers, the Sierra landscape attracts its fair share of camera crews.

While the most recent big screen production to capture the beauty of North Lake Tahoe was �The Deep End� in 2001 (which won an award for Best Cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival), the region�s towering mountains and scenic, winding roads are frequently featured in smaller productions and commercials.

�More than 30 film permits are handed out each year in Placer County and about a third of those projects are shot in Tahoe,� said Beverly Lewis from the Placer-Lake Tahoe Film Office, which assists production companies with locations and film needs.

Lewis most recently assisted on an aerial shot for the upcoming movie �Into the Wild� that was written and directed by Sean Penn. �From what I understand he was very specific about the accuracy of the shot he needed, which happened to be of the main character hiking through the Sierra Nevada,� Lewis said.

More dramatic views of North Lake Tahoe can be seen in �The Godfather II� (1974), where the exclusive West Shore Fleur du Lac served as the Corleone Estate and locale for a family confirmation in the beginning of the film. Governor Schwarzenegger and Tom Arnold can be seen being chased through a snowy Tahoe Donner in the opening scene of �True Lies� (1994). Michael Keaton�s snowman slides around Truckee and North Tahoe in �Jack Frost� (1998). Meg Ryan is seen cycling near Fallen Leaf Lake in �City of Angels� (1998) and Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift frolicked on the waters of Lake Tahoe (standing in for upstate New York) in �A Place in the Sun�(1951).

Production companies have long taken advantage of the area�s beauty, which has been featured in a bevy of silent and black and white films, including �The Outcasts of Poker Flat� (1919), a silent film directed by John Ford; �Island in the Sky� (1953) starring John Wayne; �The Gold Rush�(1925), directed by Charlie Chaplin; and �The Women� (1939) with Rosalind Russell and Joan Crawford.

While large Hollywood productions put Lake Tahoe on the big screen, it�s the commercials that bring the destination into American living rooms throughout the year. The area�s scenic roads can be seen in upcoming Toyota, Volkswagen and Dodge Chrysler commercials, which recently shot all its mountain shots in Lake Tahoe.

�Production companies for commercials generally look for scenic, winding roads, of which we have plenty,� Lewis said.

But despite the product or the celebrity, Lake Tahoe may get most of its exposure each week on TV Land, where 14 seasons of �Bonanza� (1959) can be seen on a near-daily basis as the Cartwright boys gallop above the shores of Lake Tahoe and into the homes of millions.

North Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the Reno Tahoe International Airport, two hours from Sacramento International Airport and just over three hours from San Francisco International Airport. For lodging reservations, recreation and event details, call North Lake Tahoe at 1-877-949-3296 or visit www.GoTahoeNorth.com. Visitor information centers are located at 380 North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe City and 969 Tahoe Boulevard in Incline Village. The North Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureaus, Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, work together to promote North Lake Tahoe as a premier, year-round destination.

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Media Contact: Pettit Gilwee 530-583-2138 Pettit@gilweepr.com