Cherokee Film

06/08/2026

Cherokee Film Institute is an Academic Specialist! 🎬

Help educate and support the next generation of filmmakers while creating opportunities that strengthen Native representation in film and media.

As an Academic Specialist, you'll guide students throughout their journey at Cherokee Film Institute, coordinate internship opportunities, support curriculum development and help prepare aspiring filmmakers for careers in the industry.

If you're passionate about education, mentorship and helping future storytellers succeed, we'd love to hear from you.

🔗 Learn more and apply online at: https://bit.ly/CFI_AcademicSpecialist

30/07/2026

Cherokee Film Studios is more than a place where productions are made. It is part of a larger ecosystem designed to support filmmakers while creating meaningful opportunities across the Cherokee Nation Reservation.

Located in the Tulsa metro area, the studios are open to productions of all sizes and backgrounds. The space offers two state-certified soundstages, production offices, hair and makeup suites, as well as practical and virtual production capabilities. Through Cherokee Film Commission, productions can also access location services, Native talent directories, cultural consultation and a film incentive for utilizing Cherokee Film Studios.

When productions choose to create here, they are contributing to a larger mission: increasing Native representation across film and media, supporting the growth of Oklahoma’s film industry and driving economic activity throughout the Cherokee Nation.

23/07/2026

Director Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians) paints a vivid picture of Indigenous resistance in “Sunflower Siege Engine.”

This experimental short examines the poetic relationship between place, memory and Indigenous sovereignty. Part documentary, lyrical video and narrative project, “Sunflower Siege Engine” layers archival footage of the 1969 Alcatraz occupation by Native activists. This footage is accompanied by vibrant landscapes of the Pacific redwoods and Cahokia Mounds in Illinois.

Important stories like “Sunflower Siege Engine” remind us of the land and its histories. The project offers an interesting meditation on resilience and belonging with its striking cinematography, compelling poetry and layered soundscape, Watch it online for free: https://bit.ly/SunflowerSiege

20/07/2026

This past weekend, Cherokee Film Productions brought home three Heartland Emmy NATAS Awards and earned nine nominations for stories in Season 10 of OsiyoTV and several segments of “Let’s Talk Cherokee.” 🎉

These honors have brought 36 Heartland Emmy Awards to the Cherokee Nation. Wado ᏩᏙ to our team, the Cherokee citizens who have trusted us with their stories and everyone who continues to support our work.

Tap and scroll through to see this year’s award-winning stories of "Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People."

16/07/2026

Kaniehtiio Horn (Kanien’kehá:ka/Mohawk) has spoken candidly about a reality the industry still struggles to recognize. Native people are not a monolith, and there is no single Native experience.

Whether it’s striking fear in the hearts of men in “Reservations Dogs” or channeling rage on her debut film “Seeds,” Kaniehtiio’s career shows what is possible when Native talent is given the space to redefine expectations. It’s also a challenge to casting directors and decision makers to broaden their understanding of what Native talent looks like.

13/07/2026

Oklahoma’s film industry is still growing, and productions need access to more skilled crew members and creatives. Cherokee Film Institute was created to help build that workforce by creating more opportunities for Native and local talent to enter the industry.

Based in Owasso, Oklahoma, Cherokee Film Insitute offers hands-on film and media training that prepares students for careers in front of and behind the camera. Students don’t have to move to Hollywood to pursue a career in the film industry. Through practical skills, mentorship and real-world experience, students can develop their craft close to home and become part of the growing industry in their own communities.

By investing in the next generation of filmmakers and crew, Cherokee Film is creating more opportunities for authentic Native stories to be told by strengthening the local workforce and expanding representation.

Learn more at www.cherokeefilminstitute.com. 🎬

13/07/2026

This Wednesday! Join Cherokee Film’s senior director Jen Loren and communications project manager LeeAnn Dreadfulwater for a discussion on the topic of “Cherokees and the American Revolution.”

Attend the free lecture on Wednesday, July 15, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Northeastern State University Jazz Lab.

The American experiment in democracy continues in its 250th year, and Cherokees have shaped many of American history’s pivotal moments. Senior director Jen Loren and communications project manager LeeAnn Dreadfulwater have developed an informative and accessible talk, “Cherokees and the American Revolution,” drawing from their experiences at Cherokee Film, including advising Ken Burns’ recent documentary miniseries about the origins of the United States.

Gain Cherokee perspectives on American history at our next “Lunch and Learn” lecture on Wednesday, July 15, led by Jen and LeeAnn. Attend and listen to this talk from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Northeastern State University Jazz Lab. Lunch and Learns are free and open to the public. A light lunch is provided — you may also bring your own sack lunch to this event.

09/07/2026

If you can see it, you can be it.

As Cherokee Film Senior Director Jen Loren and Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. share, visibility matters. Because when Cherokee citizens see themselves as actors, creators and crew, the film industry becomes something tangible and real.

Through our studios, institute, commission and productions, Cherokee storytellers have the tools to step into the industry today.

06/07/2026

Native Americans make up 2.9% of the U.S. population yet are rarely seen in mainstream film and television. This level of absence has an impact. When communities are consistently left out, it sends a message about who belongs — and who doesn’t.

Addressing symbolic annihilation means creating space for Native voices in front of and behind the camera so our stories are visible, accurate and told by our own communities.

26/06/2026

Bringing our historical figures to life doesn’t just require talent, it requires truth.

Portraying historical Native American figures with accuracy and respect is essential to how our stories are remembered. As Cherokee Actress Cheyenne Gagner explains, her portrayal of Nanyehi was a challenge not only to face the physical demands, but the historical weight of the performance itself.