TULSA, Okla. (KFOR) – The Cherokee Nation and its film office are celebrating the world premiere of “Fancy Dance.”

“Fancy Dance” was recently showed at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, as a finalist in the U.S. Dramatic Competition.

Filmed in the Cherokee Nation Reservation, “Fancy Dance” stars Lily Gladstone from “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

According to the Cherokee Nation, “Fancy Dance” is the first recipient of the tribe’s film incentive. The film features Native American talent and crew while displaying major present-day issues Indigenous women, children and families face.

  • Officials from the Cherokee Nation Film Office joined Director Erica Tremblay and “Fancy Dance” cast and crew, as well as representatives from the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture and Confluential Films at Sundance Film Festival to celebrate and honor Native film. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.
    Officials from the Cherokee Nation Film Office joined Director Erica Tremblay and “Fancy Dance” cast and crew, as well as representatives from the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture and Confluential Films at Sundance Film Festival to celebrate and honor Native film. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.
  • Filmed in the Cherokee Nation Reservation, "Fancy Dance" features Native American talent and crew while illustrating important and current issues faced by Indigenous women, children and their families. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.
    Filmed in the Cherokee Nation Reservation, “Fancy Dance” features Native American talent and crew while illustrating important and current issues faced by Indigenous women, children and their families. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.
  • Cherokee Film’s Senior Director Jennifer Loren and Senior Manager of Film and Video Production Maggie Cunningham join “Fancy Dance” creators, cast and crew on the red carpet during the film’s world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.
    Cherokee Film’s Senior Director Jennifer Loren and Senior Manager of Film and Video Production Maggie Cunningham join “Fancy Dance” creators, cast and crew on the red carpet during the film’s world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.
  • Filmed in the Cherokee Nation Reservation, "Fancy Dance" features Native American talent and crew while illustrating important and current issues faced by Indigenous women, children and their families. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.
    Filmed in the Cherokee Nation Reservation, “Fancy Dance” features Native American talent and crew while illustrating important and current issues faced by Indigenous women, children and their families. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.

“The future is bright for filmmaking in the Cherokee Nation as we are quickly becoming a leading hub for Indigenous storytellers in film and television,” said Jennifer Loren, senior director of Cherokee Film. “We are extremely proud to offer our film incentive and services to such incredible projects as ‘Fancy Dance’ that deliver accurate, current and unique Native storylines while featuring Native Americans both above and below the line.”

The tribe says the Cherokee Nation Film Incentive translated to significant expenditures for Native-owned business, as well as wages paid to Native American citizens. Along with the film’s director and co-writers, more than 40% of the film’s roles, both in front and behind the camera, were fulfilled by Native Americans.

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“We are so grateful to the Cherokee Nation Film Office,” said “Fancy Dance” Director, Co-Writer and Producer Erica Tremblay. “They have supported ‘Fancy Dance’ at every step along the way, and they remain committed to helping our film succeed.”

“Fancy Dance” was produced by Deidre Backs, Heather Rae, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Tommy Oliver and Confluential Films. It was developed and produced with the help of the the Cherokee Nation Film Incentive, Sundance Screenwriters Lab, Directors Lab, Creative Producing Lab and Indigenous Intensive, along with the Tulsa Film Fund.