Film Friendly Certification fosters growth
By Mallory Sepúlveda
On February 13, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office announced Owasso as a Film Friendly Certified Community. News releases boasted new possibilities of city growth by creating jobs, diversifying the local economy and jumping in on the already expanding film industry in Oklahoma.
“When I took on this position, [the film certification] was one thing that I thought, ‘We need to get this started,’” explained Owasso Economic Developer Shellie Wingert. “Because at that point, there were over 30 cities within our state that had already been Film Friendly Certified.”
After the passing of the Filmed in Oklahoma Act of 2021, which provides rebates of up to 30% of a production’s expenditures, Oklahoma’s film and television industry has seen major growth. This act has incited $531 million in economic impact in the state, according to a 2025 economic study. By becoming Film Friendly Certified, Owasso has put itself on the map to capitalize on this growth.
Photo of Cherokee Film Studio A provided by Cherokee Film
“They say, on average, a film can bring in at least $50,000 a day to a community. Between the patronage of hotels and restaurants and the utilization of hardware stores and local business, it can be very lucrative to cities,” remarked Wingert.
Owasso finds itself in a favorable location for film. It not only has close proximity to Tulsa and the Tulsa International Airport, but also is home to Cherokee Film Studios.
“We have had four films that have been filmed in and around Owasso,” stated Wingert, “And more than 200 productions have utilized Cherokee Film Office programs since 2014.”
The Cherokee Film Office covers four branches: Cherokee Film Institute, Cherokee Film Commission, Cherokee Film Productions and Cherokee Film Studios, located just off of Highway 20.
Maggie Cunningham, Film Commissioner and Production Manager, described the studios, saying, “Our studios [are] our physical sound stages located there in Owasso. We’ve got two certified sound stages, and that is very attractive for film productions. That encompasses Studio A, which has our virtual LED volume stage. And then we just opened last fall Studio B, which is our 10,000 foot practical production. That’s the only purpose-built soundstage in Oklahoma.”
Photo of the Cherokee Film Studios provided by Cherokee Film
Currently, 39 Oklahoma cities are Film Friendly Certified. Each of these cities has completed a three-step process to make their information—including locations, amenities and permit requirements—readily available for producers.
“When [producers] hear, ‘Let’s go film in Oklahoma,’ there’s a lot of hesitancy about what that may look like, or if we have the infrastructure to support that,” revealed Cunningham. “So to be able to be certified as Film Friendly gives some comfort.”
As Oklahoma’s film industry has grown, so has Cherokee Film.
“Cherokee Film Productions … is our internal production arm, and so that has been mostly dedicated to our docu-series ‘Osiyo: Voices of the Cherokee People,’ which is in its tenth season and has won multiple Regional Emmy Awards.” Cunningham beamed, “[It] highlights extraordinary citizens of the Cherokee Nation … letting people know that Cherokees do amazing things all over the country and all over the world.”
To produce more Native representation, Cherokee Film Commission provides incentives to productions that film in Cherokee Nation and employ Native citizens.
“This day and age, there are still so many misconceptions about Native people. I would say [the film] industry has the most impact on some of those narratives. What a lot of people know about Native Americans and Cherokee people—it’s through film and TV. That really does affect how people view us,” acknowledged Cunningham.
Cherokee Film works to produce authentic media to reclaim the Native narrative.
“[People think] we’re a people of the past, [or] we’re a vanishing people. [But] we’re not always in a context of tragedy. We have modern stories to tell; we have incredible stories to tell,” asserted Cunningham.
The collaboration with Cherokee Film and the Film Friendly Certification sets Owasso up for a bright future in film. This breakthrough into the industry will not only stimulate our local economy, but also connect our city deeper with its Native history.
“What we’re trying to do in this industry is not only affect change in front of the camera, but also behind,” concluded Cunningham. “We say, ‘No stories about us without us.’”