Hollywoods First Ever Native American Owned Movie-Studio Opens Its Doors!


Written by: Randall Biscup


Pictured: Camel Rock Studios
Source: http://theslanted.com/2020/03/39176/native-american-movie-studio-camel-rock/



In the foothills of New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains lays one of Hollywood’s first. The Tesuque Pueblo tribe of New Mexico have re-opened a former casino building, and have turned into a movie filming studio. Camel Rock Studios, named after a nearby rock formation, becomes Hollywood’s first ever movie studio owned by Native Americans. Pueblo of Tesuque Governor Robert Mora, Sr. added, “It’s certainly an important milestone for our pueblo to launch the first studio of its kind. The pueblo has a storied history of movies shot on location at Camel Rock and represents a wonderful opportunity for the Hollywood community to share in the benefits of one of the most amazing places on Earth, featuring a studio nestled in terrain of mythical seminal beauty in the heart of Pueblo country ” (2).
The Tesuque Pueblo land has over 20 production shots. Movies such as “The Man from Laramie”, “Cowboy”, “Cowboys and Aliens”, “Hostiles”, and most recent, “News of the World”. “News of the World” was the reason why this studio was created. The 75,000 square foot building with a 100-acre movie ranch style setting backlot will serve as standing sets, panoramic vistas, and planned shooting stages. The Pueblo of Tesuque Development Corporation has invested $50 million to build out, and update the new facility. News of the World also left behind a filming water tank, the only of its kind in the state. The effort officially took shape last fall, when Universal Pictures’ News of the World, starring Tom Hanks, filmed at the location. Movie producer Gregory Goodman said, “We recently wrapped our first major production at Camel Rock Studios and couldn’t have been more pleased with our experience. The studio anticipated and met all of our needs, and their attention to detail made for a seamless production. We certainly intend to bring more films to Camel Rock in the future” (2).
Cherokee American actor, film producer and Oscar honoree Wes Studi, critically acclaimed for his work in Academy Award-winning films “Dances with Wolves” and “The Last of the Mohicans,” states “Tesuque Tribe’s production facility has already proven itself with the film ‘News of the World.’ They are a great new addition to the film and television world of New Mexico” (2).
Native American Chris Eyre, an internationally recognized film and television director and producer whose work has been awarded with a Peabody, Emmy and Sundance Audience Award, is a Camel Rock Studios advisor. “In the past, Native Americans have been misrepresented and marginalized both in front of and behind the camera,” said Eyre. “In 2020 the Tesuque tribe of New Mexico is changing this narrative, and I am honored to be part of this groundbreaking new endeavor” (3). Hopefully, new opportunities open up for the Tesuque people. Timothy Brown, president and CEO of the Pueblo of Tesuque Development Corporation, said, that he believed the studio could also create internships and mentorships for Native Americans, creating more opportunities for the members of the pueblo. “We have an aggressive five-year plan to expand our business and our footprint,” said Brown. “As we grow our studio, we are striving to make this a comprehensive production facility that will support global productions across multiple platforms, including film and television, digital streaming, music, and gaming” (3).
           


Sources:
http://www.filmfetish.com/2020/03/14/camel-rock-studios-becomes-first-ever-native-american-owned-film-production-studio/

http://theslanted.com/2020/03/39176/native-american-movie-studio-camel-rock/

https://www.nativebusinessmag.com/tesuque-pueblos-film-ranch-a-back-to-the-future-facility/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Continuum of Hawaiian Sovereignty

Image
  Written by: Natalie Wilson Photo description: “In August 2019,  the Makaliʻi ’Ohana—based on Hawaiʻi island but with ties around the world—brought offerings and sung songs in honor of the Mauna and all who stand to protect her.” Photo credit: Kapulei Flores. Retrieved from “A New Documentary Centers Protest, Poetry, and the Fight for Native Hawaiian Sovereignty” Vogue. 19 February 2021. https://www.vogue.com/article/this-is-the-way-we-rise-documentary-protest-poetry-mauna-kea-hawaii “We are not American!” This is the cry heard across generations of Native Hawaiians; from Haunani-Kay Trask at the 1993 commemoration of the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian government to Jamaica Osorio facing off against police at protests to protect Mauna Kea nearly thirty years later, echoing down a violent history of oppression and cultural erasure in Hawaii. [1] The government of the Hawaiian Kingdom was illegally overthrown by white colonizers in the 1890s, an act which President Grover C...
Read more

The Lost Autonomy of the Mapuche Peoples

Image
Written by: Summer Lake After decades of war, assimilation tactics, and terrorism towards the Mapuche peoples of South America, they have finally been able to take legal action against the governments of Chile and Argentina. About 1.5 million Mapuches live in Chile, and 200,000 in Argentina (Youkee. 2019). This year, representatives of the “Mapuche people have petitioned the international criminal court (ICC) to take action against the governments of Chile and Argentina for acts of genocide and crimes against humanity” (Youkee. 2019). The representative leading the discussion, Lonko Juana Calfunao, was quoted saying “the Chilean army with the complicity of the Catholic church, invaded our territory, burned our [homes], killing our people and drowning babies in the rivers” (Youkee. 2019). This is a very serious issue, and even a quick Google search of “Mapuche Chile Conflict” immediately shows headlines of police brutality, injured citizens, and legal battles.   The Map...
Read more

The Land Grab of Bears Ear National Monument

Image
Author : Sarah A. Bears Ears National Monument is an area located in southeastern Utah which is sacred to at least five Native Tribes; the Hopi, Navajo, Uintah and Ouray Ute, Ute Mountain Ute and the Pueblo of Zuni. Former President Obama made it a National Monument in 2016 to protect the site, as National Monuments are lands that are protected from development by law. Each monument has its own specific restrictions, however. For Bears Ears, federal rules forbid new mining and drilling, but allows the interior department to continue to issue things such as cattle grazing leases. When Obama issued it as a National Monument, the acreage was cut down from 1.9 million acres to 1.35 million acres as a compromise that his supporters said was needed to protect 100,000 objects of archaeological significance, including grave sites, ceremonial grounds, ancient cliff dwellings, as well as their surrounding ecosystem. This acreage cut however, is not nearly as bad as the cut that current pre...
Read more