Cherokee Nation Offers $1M Incentive To Encourage Film, TV Projects On Its Land

The Cherokee Nation Film Office has announced an attractive US$1 million incentive for more film and television projects to shoot within its land. 

This comes as Oklahoma has seen a recent boom in production, with the Cherokee Nation hoping to tap on the interest to increase the presence of Native Americans in front of and behind the screen.

According to Deadline, the new initiative will offer a yearly cap of US$1 million, with a base 20% cash rebate on production costs. Production houses will be required to spend within the confines of the Cherokee Nation to qualify for the incentive.

At the moment, the state itself has its own film incentive efforts, offering projects in the region a rebate of up to 38% on labor, goods, and services, based on a series of criteria. This means producers can opt to combine both offers should they wish to shoot on Cherokee soil. 

“Oklahoma’s television, film, and production industries continue to grow at an exceptional pace,” said Jennifer Loren, Director of the Cherokee Nation Film Office.

“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,” she added.

Public Radio Tulsa noted that applications for the new initiative will begin on March 1, 2022. In addition to boosting the number of Native Americans within the film industry, the incentive will allow for increased funds to go towards Native-owned businesses in the region.

Aside from the incentive, the Cherokee Nation Film Office has created the first-ever database of Native American film professions and actors across all Native communities in the country. 

This directory will help ensure that Native roles are correctly cast with real Native Americans, and connects producers with experts to help verify the show’s content is historically and culturally appropriate. 

“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,” remarked Loren.

[via Deadline and Public Radio Tulsa, cover image via Tamara Lee Harding | Dreamstime.com]