A Love Letter to Santa Cruz
As a kid growing up in Santa Cruz, the filming of The Lost Boys was one of the defining moments of one unforgettable summer. Suddenly, this strange, beautiful seaside town became the backdrop for something mythic. The film captured Santa Cruz at a very particular moment in time—creative, gritty, rebellious, artistic, playful, slightly dangerous and completely magnetic.
I’ve been fascinated by it ever since.
For years, I kept coming back to the same question:
How could there not already be a celebration of The Lost Boys in the town where it all happened?
A chance meeting with Jamison Newlander—one of the original Frog Brothers—provided the spark to stop talking about the idea and start building it.
Today, that idea has grown into Return to Santa Carla—a community-driven project dedicated to preserving the history of The Lost Boys while creating its next chapter together.
Through the Lost Boys Memory Project and One of Us: A Lost Boys Festival, we’re inviting everyone who helped shape this story—or has loved it over the past four decades—to become part of what comes next.
One unforgettable summer. Thousands of stories.
Return to Santa Carla: The Lost Boys Memory Project
As we approach the 40th anniversary of filming, we’re collecting the memories behind one of the most beloved cult films ever made.
Whether you worked on the production, appeared as an extra, watched filming from the Boardwalk, worked in Santa Cruz during the summer of 1986, have photographs tucked away in a drawer, collected memorabilia over the years, or simply remember Hollywood arriving in town—we’d love to hear your story.
Together we’re creating a permanent digital archive celebrating not only the making of The Lost Boys, but also the people and places that brought Santa Carla to life.
The archive will include personal memories, oral histories, photographs, home movies, memorabilia, newspaper clippings, behind-the-scenes accounts, filming locations and community recollections. Every contribution helps preserve a unique chapter of Santa Cruz history.
Share Your Story
Have memories, photographs, memorabilia or connections to the original film? Help preserve this extraordinary chapter of Santa Cruz history by contributing to the Return to Santa Carla Memory Project.
Help Build the Festival
One of Us: A Lost Boys Festival
The Memory Project is only the beginning.
Alongside the archive, we’re creating One of Us: A Lost Boys Festival—an annual celebration in the town where it all began.
Created with original Frog Brother Jamison Newlander, this isn’t simply a festival we’re organising. It’s something we’re building together.
Our vision is to create a celebration shaped by the very people who made The Lost Boys so special—from the cast and crew who brought it to life, to the Santa Cruz community who witnessed it, to the fans who have kept its legacy alive for nearly forty years.
The festival will bring together screenings, live conversations, music, special guests, filming locations, exhibitions, immersive experiences, local businesses, artists and community events that honour both the film and the town that inspired it.
We’ll host a special anniversary weekend in October 2026 to mark forty years since filming, followed by an expanded annual festival beginning in 2027.
But we don’t want to build this alone. We want One of Us to be shaped by the community.
Whether you have ideas to share, memorabilia to exhibit, photographs to contribute, creative skills, business support, sponsorship opportunities or simply want to help bring this vision to life, we’d love to hear from you.
Together we can create something worthy of the place where the legend began.
Every legend begins with a story.
Follow the Journey
Over the coming months we’ll be uncovering forgotten photographs, sharing remarkable memories, visiting filming locations, interviewing the people who were there and documenting the creation of One of Us: A Lost Boys Festival from the ground up.
We’d love you to be part of it.
Follow along, share your memories, contribute your ideas and watch Return to Santa Carla grow into a celebration created by—and for—the community that has kept The Lost Boys alive for generations.