OKLAHOMA, USA — Cherokee Nation has announced it will be offering the first-ever tribal film incentive program.
The Cherokee Nation Film Office (CNFO) says it will fund up to $1 million for productions filmed with the Cherokee Nation's 14 county reservation. CNFO launched in 2019 and became the first certified Native American film commission to open in the United States
“Since establishing our film office, we’ve worked diligently alongside our state and local partners to help grow the film and television industries in Oklahoma,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “There are substantial benefits in launching this powerful economic tool within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. In addition to expanding career opportunities for Indigenous filmmakers, producers, directors, actors, and behind-the-scenes crew members, this new incentive program reinforces Cherokee Nation’s commitment to creating quality jobs and supporting small, family-owned businesses within our tribal communities.”
The Cherokee Nation Film Office will start accepting applications on March 1. Prequalified productions who film anywhere within Cherokee Nation’s 7,000 square miles of northeast Oklahoma are eligible for a rebate incentive.
The tribe hopes to create economic development and grow job opportunities with the program to encourage television projects within the reservation. The program also offers increased funding if projects employ Native American citizens, as well as utilizing Native-owned businesses.
“In pursuit of our longtime mission of growing the tribe’s economy, CNB continues to invest in the success of Cherokee citizens through new and diverse opportunities across the globe,” said Chuck Garrett, CEO of Cherokee Nation Businesses. “The Cherokee Nation Film Incentive is an excellent means of expanding upon those goals by helping grow an entire industry specifically within the Cherokee Nation.”
The Filmed in Oklahoma Act of 2021, administered by the Oklahoma Film + Music Office, also offers productions a cash rebate based on several qualifying factors. The Cherokee Nation Film Incentive can be applied for individually or in conjunction with The Filmed in Oklahoma Act of 2021.
“Oklahoma’s television, film, and production industries continue to grow at an exceptional pace. We are pleased to serve a role in helping support economic growth while furthering our mission to promote diversity, inclusion, and accurate Native American representation at every level of these industries,” said Jennifer Loren, director of Cherokee Nation Film Office and Original Content. “Encouraging productions to film within Cherokee Nation’s many vast and beautiful locations, as well as to hire Indigenous people and utilize Native-owned businesses, offers an immense amount of opportunity for tribal citizens, families, and businesses to benefit from the rapid growth of these industries within our state.”
For more information on the CNFO, you can email hello@cherokee.film or click here. Businesses located within Cherokee Nation’s reservation can register to be hired by film and TV productions through CNFO’s support services directory.