The Cherokee Nation’s investment in the film and television industry is showing results in northeast Oklahoma. Several productions supported by tribal incentives are premiering this fall. These projects have generated over $3.6 million in local spending within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. They have also created jobs for 149 Native Americans in different production roles.
The Cherokee Nation launched its film incentive program in 2022. It was the first program of its kind among tribal nations. The incentive can be combined with Oklahoma’s state film incentive and support from the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts and Culture. Jen Loren, Senior Director of Cherokee Film, said the program has attracted productions, used local resources, and increased regional employment. She also noted that these projects benefit both the reservation and the local industry.
A major production this season is “Sarah’s Oil” from Amazon MGM Studios, which will premiere on November 7, 2025. The film tells the story of Sarah Rector, who became one of the first female African-American millionaires in Indian Country after discovering oil on her land as a child in the early 1900s. The production, directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh, is the largest so far to use the Cherokee Film incentive…