SANTA FE, N.M. – The Chickasaw Nation will have an enhanced presence at this year’s prestigious Santa Fe Indian Market as it seeks to educate film enthusiasts and recruit film and documentary talent.
Chickasaw Nation Productions (CNP) will present a special showing of “Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher” at no charge for thousands of art lovers expected to attend the market.
The Chickasaw Nation will staff a booth to attract talented actors for upcoming CNP projects and to explain the tribe’s film and documentary endeavors. It will be staffed by tribal officials Aug. 17-18.
“Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher” will be available to view at 5 p.m., Aug. 17, at the Violet Crown Cinema, within walking distance of the art market, according to Bridget Forshay, Chickasaw Nation marketing manager. CNP and Violet Crown Cinema are co-sponsoring the showing.
Forshay, along with Chickasaw Nation Marketing Director Shelly Miller and Senior Marketing Manager Travis Stanberry, will be on hand to visit with actors and interested patrons about registering with the Chickasaw Talent Database online at ChickasawFilms.com.
The trio will answer questions and explain the successes enjoyed by the Chickasaw Nation in feature film production and documentaries.
Actors and film crew workers, both First Americans and non-First Americans, may register online for inclusion in the database, Miller said.
Chickasaw Nation Director of Creative Development Jeannie Barbour will be joined by Philip Sullivan, Chickasaw Nation Director of Video Production and Brad Clonch, Chickasaw Nation Executive Officer of Creative Services, 2 p.m. Aug. 17, at Santa Fe Plaza to talk about CNP, and its mission in films and documentaries.
CNP was established in 2009 as a result of Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby’s vision to utilize film production to preserve the stories of the Chickasaw people.
The goal of CNP is to educate audiences by producing feature films and documentaries with accurate, positive portrayals of Chickasaw people, history and culture.
Each film illustrates how Chickasaw culture played a significant role in the lives of the individuals and events portrayed in the films, and how those individuals and events influenced the world around them.
CNP has produced critically acclaimed full-length movies and documentaries. They include “Pearl,” “Te Ata” and “Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher.”
“Te Ata” and “Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher” were featured by Netflix during 2023’s National Native American Heritage Month and enjoyed extended airtime.
“Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher” remains available on Netflix.
“Te Ata” portrays the life of Mary Frances Thompson whose stage name was “Te Ata.” She entertained thousands of Chautauqua entertainment seekers as well as European royalty and President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
“Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher” follows the early life of famed rancher Montford Johnson, whose business, at its zenith, included more than 35,000 head of cattle roaming 1.3 million acres in Indian Territory.
“Pearl” tells the story of Chickasaw citizen Pearl Carter Scott. On Sept. 12, 1929, she became the youngest licensed pilot in the United States when she took her first solo flight at age 13. She studied flying with famed aviator and inventor Wiley Post.
CNP’s first documentary is also available on the website. “First Encounter” tells the story of the Chickasaw Nation’s encounter with Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto in 1540.
For more information and to register for the Chickasaw Talent Database, visit ChickasawFilms.com.