Jennifer Loren, director of Cherokee Nation Film Office and Original Content, speaks at the grand opening of Cherokee Film Studios in Owasso on July 22.
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin speaks with staff in front of a LED wall inside Cherokee Film Studios. The LED wall will soon be increased to more than double its current size, bringing the massive screen to 80 feet long and 17 feet high.
Tribal Councilors Dora Patzkowski, left, Victoria Vazquez and Candessa Tehee sit on a couch in an apartment studio located inside the Cherokee Film Studios.
A director’s chair sits inside the Cherokee Film Studios during a July 22 grand opening for the studios located in Owasso.
Jennifer Loren, director of Cherokee Nation Film Office and Original Content, speaks at the grand opening of Cherokee Film Studios in Owasso on July 22.
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin speaks with staff in front of a LED wall inside Cherokee Film Studios. The LED wall will soon be increased to more than double its current size, bringing the massive screen to 80 feet long and 17 feet high.
Tribal Councilors Dora Patzkowski, left, Victoria Vazquez and Candessa Tehee sit on a couch in an apartment studio located inside the Cherokee Film Studios.
A director’s chair sits inside the Cherokee Film Studios during a July 22 grand opening for the studios located in Owasso.
OWASSO – Cherokee Nation leadership and executives from the tribe’s business arm, Cherokee Nation Businesses, joined state officials, local community leaders and industry professionals to celebrate the grand opening of Cherokee Film Studios Owasso Campus with a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 22.
The tribe’s state-of-the-art facility is the first of its kind in Oklahoma and Indian Country and features groundbreaking technology, including an xR (extended reality) virtual production LED volume studio crafted with industry-leading software and hardware technologies.
“The Cherokee Nation Film Office is leading the way in helping grow and diversify Oklahoma’s film and television industry,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “Cherokee Nation and its businesses have long remained a great community partner, and we are here to stay. Our tribe continues to do our part to successfully build permanent infrastructure and encourage economic growth that creates jobs and expands opportunities for the Cherokee people and for all of northeast Oklahoma.”
The 27,000-square-foot facility is located on more than 4 acres and includes dedicated studio spaces with accompanying edit suites, a control room, a pro-grade audio booth, crew and client lounges, as well as hair and makeup facilities to meet the growing needs of production in Oklahoma.
Director of Cherokee Nation Film Office and Original Content Jennifer Loren said “hundreds of local film crews have already spent long hours creating movie magic” in the studios.
“After today, we will be officially open for business. We appreciate the many leaders in the audience today who have taken time to be with us here to celebrate,” she said. “The mission of the Cherokee Nation Film Office is to increase the presence of Native Americans in every level of the film and TV industry while creating opportunities for economic development and jobs in the Cherokee Nation. All of these things go very well together. We have proven that with the success of our flagship TV series, ‘Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People.’”
Loren called the studios another tool for Cherokees to use to tell their stories but added the studios are not just for Cherokee people.
“It is here in the Cherokee Nation to be leased and used to create all kinds of film and TV projects to help build this industry in Oklahoma,” she explained.
Oklahoma Film + Music Office Director Tava Sofsky, who is also a CN citizen, spoke at the grand opening and said as a young woman she had to leave her home state and go to Hollywood to pursue work in the film industry. Ten years ago, she came back to Oklahoma and began working to increase Oklahoma’s presence in the film industry.
“Today, there is no other place I’d rather be than here to witness this incredible milestone for the Cherokee Nation and the state of Oklahoma, and I believe, together, we are and we can continue to change the landscape for all of our communities and families in the state and also within the global motion picture and television industry,” Sofsky said. “This place inspires me. My home state inspires me. Congratulations to the Cherokee Nation. Thank you for your critical investment into our state’s motion picture and television industry.”
The tribe’s state-of-the-art LED wall will soon be increased to more than double its current size, bringing the massive screen to 80 feet long and 17 feet high with a ceiling measuring 18 feet deep. The expansion will also include fixed and mobile set lighting options and added portable LED wall panels, allowing for reverse shot capabilities. CNFO will also double the size of its motion capture volume and offer 12 additional cameras to increase the possibilities for creativity as Cherokee Film Studios enters the “metaverse.”
District 14 tribal councilor representing Rogers County, Keith Austin, said it is appropriate for the film studios to be in the home county of noted Cherokee film and radio star, Will Rogers, who was born and raised “a short horse ride” from Owasso.
“Will Rogers was the first Native American to produce his own movies. Will Rogers was the first Native American to host the Oscars. Will Rogers was the great storyteller who brought stories to the world and understood how to tackle a new medium (filmmaking),” he said. “Today we are tackling a new medium…a few miles from where Will Rogers grew up. We know storytelling is the heart of the culture of the Cherokee people. This is how we are going to preserve the stories of not only the Cherokee people, but all people for the future…through filmmaking.”