Welcome to the first certified Native American Film Office in the United States.
We are your connection to the 14- county area covering approximately 7,000 square miles that make up the Cherokee Nation in Northeast Oklahoma. Those 7,000 square miles offer you a wide variety of looks for you project including five separate Eco-Regions offering everything from tallgrasses, farmland, open prairies and vistas, and oak savannas and deciduous forests.
We also can offer you the strawberry capital of the world, and Sequoyah State Park, foothills of the Ozark Mountains with a variety of springs, streams and waterways.
The Cherokee Film Commission is here to assist filmmakers worldwide who are looking to film within the Cherokee Nation and to accurately portray the lives of Native Americans in film and television. We are driven to expand the presence of Natives in the film and television industries both in front of and behind the camera.
We offer the first ever Native Crew & Talent Directories and a unique Cultural Consultants Directory who will all work to help you get the story right. We also partner with the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture and the Oklahoma Film & Music Office.
We can help you find talent, locations, and all of the services you need to film locally.
We look forward to hearing from you so give us a call and let us know how we can get your project moving forward.
WHY FILM HERE?
The state of Oklahoma offers one of the best film incentive programs in the country. Combine that with the services of the Cherokee Film Commission and you get a filming experience like none other.
OUR FIVE ECO-REGIONS
A diverse eco-culture exists across our vast 14 counties. Tallgrass prairie lands, lakes, streams and waterfalls, rolling hills, historic landmarks, modern urban development and small-town Americana provide the perfect places to tell your story… all right here in the Cherokee Nation.
Cross Timbers
The Crosstimbers ecoregion covers the westernmost section of the Cherokee Nation. The mixture of tallgrasses, farmland, woodlands and rangelands offer diverse landscapes and backdrops for filming in the area. A portion of the city of Tulsa lies within the crosstimbers ecoregion, including the Oxley Nature Center.
Tallgrass Prairie
The Tallgrass prairie ecoregion is located in the northern central part of the Cherokee Nation, featuring a blend of open prairies and vistas, and oak savannas and deciduous forests. Ten of the 14 Cherokee Nation counties are included in this ecoregion. Oologah Lake in Nowata County provides forested hills and sky blue waters, with several ideal locations for outdoor activity scenes along the lake. The city of Bartlesville is partially located in this ecoregion.
Caves & Prairie
On the southeastern edge of the Cherokee Nation, you’ll find the caves and prairies ecoregion of the Arkansas Valley, with a vivid landscape of lush grasslands and forests. The city of Stilwell, the strawberry capital of the world, and Sequoyah State Park, a 2,200-acre area that lies on the eastern shore of Fort Gibson Lake in Cherokee County, are located within this ecoregion. This park features a golf course, hiking areas and disc golf, which is perfect for scenic lake getaway scenes.
Ozark Highlands
The Ozark Highlands are a heavily forested ecoregion located on the northeastern side of the Cherokee Nation. This area features the foothills of the Ozark Mountains with several springs, streams and waterways. The Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees is located in this ecoregion, showcasing 10 state parks around the lake, along with cities such as Grove and Disney, offering many film locations to choose from. The Illinois River is another popular destination with a scenic water route, including gentle rapids and camping areas.
Ozark Forest
The Ozark Forest ecoregion is heavily forested terrain located in the southeastern corner of the Cherokee Nation and is home to the capital of the Cherokee Nation. The renowned Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah and Sequoyah’s Cabin in Sallisaw are popular Cherokee cultural sites to visit in the region, along with several historical sites. Lake Tenkiller has around 13,000 acres of water and 130 miles of shoreline and rocky cliffs that are ready for exploration and location scouting.
