Inaugural Indian Territory Film Festival Debuts At OSU-Tulsa

The first Indian Territory Film Festival is happening Thursday at OSU-Tulsa.

The festival combines OSU's Center for Poets and Writers and DeadCenter, the largest film festival in Oklahoma.

Growing up, Loren Waters said she never saw someone who looked like her on the big screen.

"Nobody looked like me, and I felt like my culture was not represented," said Loren.

But she is working to change that.

Loren is a Cherokee Nation and Kiowa tribe citizen---a filmmaker by trade. She has worked on projects like Reservation Dogs and Killers of the Flower Moon. She said she’s dedicated to telling stories of people within her communities, as well as working with others who are giving a voice to other groups of indigenous people.

"Indigenous representation is really important to me, and that's what drives my work is that I really want to represent my community in an accurate way," said Loren.

Loren is one of two filmmakers teaching a masterclass through the Indian Territory Film Festival. Its goal is to celebrate indigenous people's work and provide access to careers within the industry.

Sunrise Tippeconnie, the Director of Programming at DeadCenter Film, said a class like this allows for connections beyond the auditorium.

"They are able to be accessible, and their work is really inspiring in the fact that they are dealing with the culture and dealing on this independent level,” she said. “Very achievable, and so far, they are going to keep rising. It's great to be able to see that and seeing them being able to interact with people at this point in their career."

Future generations will see new names on the big screen and know this can be a path for them, too.

"I think Tulsa has become a budding indigenous storytelling hub, and I feel really grateful to have fallen into that and become a part of it," Loren said.

The Film Festival will wrap up at Circle Cinema tonight for a screening and a question-and-answer session at 7 o'clock. It's open to the public, and tickets are 5 dollars.