Cherokee Nation has committed $470,000 over four years to a partnership with the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television that will support an annual filmmaking exchange, Cherokee‑language media production and student training.
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner joined tribal leaders and UCLA film school officials in Los Angeles on Saturday, Oct. 17 to formalize the collaboration. The funding will support original Cherokee-language films, educational media and professional development, according to the tribe.
“Language preservation is inseparable from cultural sovereignty,” Hoskin said in a statement. “This is a unique partnership that expands our mission of Cherokee‑language revitalization and Indigenous filmmaking, accelerating that work while bringing Cherokee voices, perspectives and creative leadership to the forefront of an industry where Natives have too often been excluded.”
The agreement establishes a yearly exchange in which Cherokee filmmakers and students travel to UCLA for instruction, access to faculty and professional development. The school’s students will travel to Cherokee Film’s virtual production studios in Owasso, Okla. for hands-on experience in Indigenous filmmaking and community‑based storytelling.
Cherokee Nation citizen and filmmaker Joseph Erb, recently appointed as an associate professor at UCLA, will help guide development of new Cherokee‑language media. Tribal language and cultural experts guide representation, language accuracy and creative development.
The collaboration builds on Cherokee Nation’s ongoing expansion into film in the wake of a post-COVID surge in interest toward Native media and stories. After opening a film division in 2023, Hoskin declared the tribe’s Oklahoma reservation “film-ready” in 2025.
