Gold rush documentary premieres at Kennedy Mine on November 7
Ghosts of the Gold Rush is the title of the 65-minute documentary directed by Brandon Alvis. The film focuses on hauntings and history from California's Gold Rush period. It incorporates historical research together with accounts from local witnesses and reports of unexplained experiences. The work travels through former mining communities abandoned mines and historic landmarks across the Gold Country. Historians and longtime residents supply context for events that shaped these places. Witnesses describe reported encounters while paranormal investigators contribute perspectives on local ghost stories. The production connects history true crime and folklore to explore how the region's past continues to be remembered.
For director Brandon Alvis personal histories remain central to the documentary. He states in his director's statement that its familiar story is one of ambition and opportunity but beneath that mythology are accounts of violence tragedy and lives too often forgotten. Born and raised in California Alvis applies his interest in the state's history along with more than a decade of documentary and investigative television work to the project.
Alvis directed and edited Ghosts of the Gold Rush while serving as an executive producer alongside Mustafa Gatollari. Gatollari holds credits that include Haunted Discoveries and Haunted Discoveries Family Spirits. Craig Owens is credited as producer. Black Hollow Pictures serves as the production company. The effort reflects the company's focus on historical storytelling folklore and the unexplained.
Events examined in the film include Hangtown's violent past the 1922 Argonaut Mine disaster and the Weber family murders. Reported hauntings associated with the historic Cary House Hotel also receive attention. The documentary employs interviews on-location research and cinematic historical recreations to connect these accounts with documented tragedies and personal histories behind them.
The world premiere takes place November 7 at Kennedy Mine in Jackson. Gates open at 4 p.m. allowing visitors to take a self-guided tour before the film. A cast-and-crew Q&A follows the screening.
On November 10 Cinema at the State and Gold Country Ghost Tours present the documentary at Odd Fellows Lodge number 7 in Auburn. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the film at 7 p.m. A brief historical reenactment and a filmmakers Q&A follow.
Ghosts of the Gold Rush is scheduled for digital release November 13 2026 on Apple TV and Amazon Prime. Apple TV pre-orders are currently available.
The filmmaking methods combine history and paranormal accounts through interviews on-location research and cinematic historical recreations. These techniques link reported experiences with documented tragedies from the Gold Rush era.
