When Faith Phillips (Cherokee) wins her first Oscar they’ll need an extra minute of screen time just to list her accomplishments. Lawyer, teacher, writer of novels and screenplays, and— most recently— Executive Producer. As you can imagine, Faith has many stories to tell about her life and its different paths. These stories are influenced [...]
Tonya McKinny is a Cherokee filmmaker who grew up in Stilwell, OK. When asked how she became involved in the film industry, she says “almost accidentally.” In 2020 when COVID-19 hit the arts industry hard, the theatre actress/model and her opera singer husband found themselves “with a lot of free time and no income.” [...]
You may recognize him from season five of “Osiyo: Voices of the Cherokee People,” but that was just the beginning of Wayne Garner’s screen time. Born and raised in Indian Country, this Cherokee musician has traveled around the world to perform with his band. For Garner, being on the road started as a means to [...]
Dan Warrior (Mvskoke, Absentee Shawnee and Rosebud Sioux) has a larger than life presence. Standing at a modest 6’10” his presence commands a room. Over the last year those rooms have become studios and film sets, and it wasn’t just his stature that made him stand out, but his passion for Native-created content. Dan runs [...]
Industry Spotlight: Jennifer Podemski is creating the representation she wishes to see in the world. Native and Indigenous people, specifically women, are the lowest represented demographic in the film and television industries, both in front of and behind the camera. It's not a new concept, but it still stings. According to a 2019 report [...]
“Good Will Hunting” is the film that started it all for Cherokee Nation citizen Brooks Ryan Pollard at just 12 years old. He didn’t know how or when he was going to start acting, but he knew in that moment that his place in film was in front of the camera. Instead of waiting for [...]
JohnTom Knight while interning for Adult Swim. As an avid fan of animation, aspiring staff writer and film enthusiast, Cherokee Nation citizen JohnTom Knight is learning what it takes to get to the next level of the film and TV industry with practice, learning from his peers and putting his skills to the [...]
Tvli Jacob Everyone has a story to tell and everyone has access to a camera, whether that’s on your smartphone, an old camcorder or a handycam. The ability to make a film is literally in the palm of your hands. Choctaw Nation citizen Tvli Jacob learned that early on. It’s brought him critical [...]
MorningStar Angeline is a jack-of-all-trades. When it comes to film and TV, this Indigenous woman does it all. Behind the scenes on set of “Yá’át’ééh Abiní” You may recognize Angeline from her roles in Paramount's “Yellowstone,” Netflix's “Chambers,” or HBO's “This Much I Know Is True.” While she has enjoyed success in front [...]
Cherokee Nation citizen Emma Barrow grew up in Portland, Oregon, watching her father, Bruce Barrow, working in the film industry. Her father was an editor, producer and director for Oregon Public Broadcasting and PBS. He planted a seed in Emma that filmmaking was a career she could pursue, and she took action. "Cover Me" [...]
