TULSA, Okla. — Cherokee Nation officials, as well as state, local and business leaders, recently gathered with current and future filmmakers to commemorate the tribe’s ongoing efforts to expand and amplify media production within the Cherokee Nation Reservation while highlighting its role as a filmmaking hub for all northeast Oklahoma.
“Since the Cherokee syllabary became the first written language among Native Americans to our use of today’s burgeoning technologies to help preserve and share Cherokee culture for generations to come, the Cherokee people have always found innovative ways to create our own messaging, tell our own stories and build our own seat at the table,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “I am immensely proud to continue that standard today as we embark on this exciting initiative to ensure a bright future for filmmaking here in the Cherokee Nation.”
During the event held at Cherokee Film Studios in Owasso, Chief Hoskin signed a proclamation declaring the Cherokee Nation Reservation as Film Ready, a first among tribal nations. The celebration also included a special recognition of the first cohort of Cherokee Film Institute students to earn certificates through the tribally operated film school.
Similar to the well-known film-friendly certification programs offered by states and communities throughout the U.S., Cherokee Nation’s Film Ready program aims to attract more film and TV productions to the tribe’s 14-county tribal jurisdiction by providing a single point of coordination and offering a comprehensive, film-friendly environment that makes production processes efficient, cost-effective and culturally enriching. The Cherokee Nation Reservation earned the designation through endeavors made by the tribe and its businesses to make its 14-county jurisdiction in northeast Oklahoma a premier destination for filmmakers.
"The Cherokee Nation Reservation delivers so much more than other typical filming locations," said Cherokee Film senior director Jen Loren. “In addition to the Cherokee Film Commission and its robust initiatives, our film and media ecosystem provides state-of-the-art soundstages, access to 7,000 square miles of beautiful and diverse landscapes, cities, towns and historic locations, as well as unique access to the services and resources provided by our tribe and its businesses."
Cherokee Film serves a considerable role in the state’s growing film industry by enticing productions to spend millions of dollars within the Cherokee Nation’s Reservation every year. In 2024, film productions using the Cherokee Nation Film Rebate spent $8.5M on local production expenses and wages.
According to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, film and TV created a record-breaking $531 million direct economic impact on the state since 2021. Oklahoma ranks among the top 10 film incentive states for growth in film and TV employment, total compensation, and average compensation per worker.
Chief Hoskin’s declaration marks yet another unprecedented feat for the Cherokee Nation. In 2019 the tribe opened the first certified Native American film commission in the U.S., its tribal film office then became the first to offer a film incentive program in 2022, and most recently CFI became the world’s earliest and only tribally operated education and workforce development center focused specifically on helping Native Americans join the entertainment industry.
Cherokee Film is owned by Cherokee Nation Businesses and based in the Cherokee Nation Reservation in Oklahoma. The tribe’s film ecosystem includes four distinct branches — Cherokee Film Productions, Cherokee Film Studios, Cherokee Film Commission and Cherokee Film Institute — all working toward a shared goal of innovating narrative sovereignty while creating economic development within the tribe’s reservation.