“Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People” showcasing special features at major film festivals nationwide

TAHLEQUAH, Okla.— The producers of Cherokee Nation’s Emmy award-winning documentary series, “Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People,” have been selected to screen their  short films at several major film festivals in 2019.

What began as a monthly, 30-minute news magazine-style program in February 2015 has morphed into a weekly show and reshaped the way the tribe shares about its history, language, culture and people. Now Cherokee Nation is sharing those stories as individual short documentaries, competing in film festivals across the globe. 

The series, and the short documentaries within it, has earned numerous regional, national and international accolades, including five Heartland Regional Emmy awards and most recently Best Short Documentary at the LA Skins Fest, which featured more than 70 Native American, independent productions representing hundreds of reservations, nations and tribal organizations.  

“We have been overwhelmed by the amount of truly amazing stories there are to tell on behalf of the Cherokee people,” said Jennifer Loren, executive producer and host. “Expanding these stories into their own documentaries gave us the time and space to let each feature truly unfold. We are so thankful for the opportunity to share these stories and feel honored to be entrusted with doing so by the tribe and our fellow Cherokee.”

Upcoming festivals and short documentaries selected include:

Feb. 23 – March 3: 25th Annual Sedona International Film Festival in Sedona, Arizona, featuring “Speaking Through Generations” (Betty Frogg).

Feb. 27 – March 3: Durango Independent Film Festival in Durango, Colorado, featuring “Speaking Through Generations” (Betty Frogg), “Chasing 14,000” (Hannah Jordan), and “The Man They Call Fuel” (Brad Eubanks). “Chasing 14,000” has also been accepted into Durango’s REEL Learning program, which brings a curated selection of films into local schools. 

March 20-24: Maoriland Film Festival in Otaki, New Zealand, featuring “The Man They Call Fuel” (Brad Eubanks).

March 29 – April 4: American Documentary Film Festival in Palm Springs, California, featuring “Crosslin Smith, The Old Ways.” 

April 10-14: Thin Line Film Festival in Denton, Texas, featuring “Mason Fine: Chasing History.” This will be the theatrical World Premiere.

OsiyoTV is available statewide on PBS in Oklahoma and Arkansas, regionally within Tulsa on RSU-TV, in Joplin on NBC and ABC as well as FNX, an all-Native programming network in 20 national markets. The show is formatted for multiple platforms including www.osiyo.tv, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter and more. It is funded and produced by Cherokee Nation Businesses.

For more information and to watch “Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People,” please visit www.osiyo.tv.