It has almost been a year since the premiere of Barking Water at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, marking the beginning of a busy and successful year for the film by Oklahoma Writer/Director Sterlin Harjo.

So far in 2009, the Oklahoma feature has been named an Official Selection for the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah; the New Directors/New Films at Museum of Modern Art in New York City; the Native American Film + Video Festival at Smithsonian in New York City; the WorldFest-Houston Independent International Film Festival; the Athens International Film and Video Festival in Athens, Ohio; the Breckenridge Festival of Film; the Provincetown International Film Festival; and the Connecticut Film Festival. It was also a Bronze Remi Award Winner for Creative Excellence from WorldFest-Houston and First Prize in the Feature Narrative Category at the Athens International Film and Video Festival. In September, Barking Water had its international premiere at Venice Days as part of the prestigious 66th Annual Venice International Film Festival held in Italy, where it was met with a standing ovation.

Harjo’s Barking Water follows Irene and Frankie through the land of red dirt as they drive to reunite Frankie with his daughter and granddaughter in order to make amends. Irene and Frankie have had a difficult past as well. After falling in and out of love with each other until they parted ways for good, Irene agrees to help Frankie with his journey to make up for their tumultuous past.

“The script was a blueprint, but I didn’t allow it to limit us in anyway. If an actor wanted to change a line it was encouraged, and if I wanted to make up an unscripted new scene, I did it. I wanted to try and capture the spontaneity of the road trip that the characters in the story are actually taking,” said Harjo. “Physically, it was a tough shoot. Everyone on the crew was wearing multiple hats and moving constantly to meet the needs of story as it evolved.”

Barking Water was filmed in Ponca City, White Eagle, Holdenville, Wewoka and Pawhuska, Oklahoma in early 2008. Harjo is Creek and Seminole and hails from Holdenville, Oklahoma. Producer Chad Burris, Executive Producers Joel Hulett and Jack Clark, Actors Casey Camp-Horinek as Irene, Richard Ray Whitman as Frankie, Laura Spencer and Erin Riggs all hail from Oklahoma. Indion Entertainment Group and Dolphin Bay Films are both Tulsa based production companies.

In addition to the success of the film, the film has also brought recognition to its actors. Richard Ray Whitman was recently nominated for Best Actor at the 34th Annual American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco, which takes place November 6-14. Both Whitman and Casey Camp-Horinek and will attend the festival. The pair will also speak at the Q&A after the screening of Barking Water at the closing screening on November 13.

“We are very proud of both Sterlin Harjo and his latest film, Barking Water,” said Jill Simpson, Director of the Oklahoma Film & Music Office. “Time and again, Sterlin demonstrates his talent for storytelling and bringing a unique voice to cinema. The film represents Oklahoma and its people very well. The positive response it has received from audiences is well-deserved.”

For those who have not seen Barking Water, the film will screen November 5-7 for the Native Cinema Showcase at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The screenings will take place on Thursday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. The Saturday screening includes a special appearance by Sterlin Harjo and lead actors Richard Ray Whitman, and Casey Camp-Horinek. The showcase, which also includes screenings of Oklahoma produced Pearl, and Emerging Native Stories featuring short works by filmmakers with Oklahoma ties, is presented by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and the American Indian Cultural Center & Museum in celebration of American Indian Heritage Month. Pearl can be seen Friday at 5:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 8 at 2 p.m. Emerging Native Stories will screen on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Barking Water recently acquired domestic theatrical distribution through Lorber HT for select North American markets beginning fall 2009.

The Oklahoma Film & Music Office, a division of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, works to attract film, television, video, and music industries to Oklahoma through an effort to promote and expand these values and interests within the state. The Film & Music Office is committed to providing critical support to filmmakers by assisting them with their production concerns. Additional information can be found at www.oklahomafilm.org.

Oklahoma Documentary, Wagons to Waivers: A Century of Change, to Premiere

The feature documentary narrated by country music superstar and Oklahoma native Reba McEntire chronicles Oklahoma’s 100-year history in serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. OETA is scheduled to premiere the program on Saturday October 24, at 5 p.m. in celebration of October being national Disabilities Awareness Month.

Wagons to Waivers: A Century of Change takes viewers on an emotional journey from the days of the Dust Bowl and covered wagons and shows the state’s progression from institutions to full community inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities. Beginning in 1909 with the creation of the Institute for the Feeble Minded in Enid, Oklahoma’s story includes the tears and efforts of parents, the stories of people who grew up in state institutions, the legal struggles, and the triumph of the self-advocacy movement. The film also documents the Medicaid community-based waiver program that currently funds services for people with disabilities outside of institutions.

Producers Sheree Powell and Michael Chambers of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services began the project as a short educational program on how services to people with intellectual disabilities have changed since that first institution opened shortly after statehood. Nearly two years later, after mostly working evenings and weekends from their usual jobs, Powell and Chambers produced this comprehensive program completely in-house for virtually no cost to the agency or the state of Oklahoma.

Featured in the documentary are former Governor and First Lady George and Donna Nigh. Mrs. Nigh spearheaded Oklahoma’s group home program in the early 1980s during her husband’s administration. Reba McEntire donated her time narrating this video in honor of her niece who has developmental disabilities and lives with family in Oklahoma.

The film will have a second showing on Thursday, November 5, at 8:30 p.m. and plans to air several more times throughout the next year. OETA-OKLA is digital channel 13.2 in Oklahoma City, 11.2 in Tulsa, or Cox Cable channel 112. Check local listings in other areas for channels and program dates.

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Rock Opera, Rainbow Around the Sun, Now Available on DVD

Rainbow Around the Sun, the independent, feature-length rock opera has been made available on DVD through Indieflix.com. The film is the debut feature of Oklahoma filmmakers, Kevin Ely and Beau Leland.

Rainbow Around the Sun made its film festival premiere at the 2008 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. The film went on to play numerous festivals in the US and made its international premiere at the Athens International Film Festival in Athens, Greece. An alum of IFP’s Narrative Rough Cut Lab, Rainbow was one of ten feature films selected for the exclusive program in 2007.

In the film, Matthew Alvin Brown stars as Zachary Blasto, a talented rock and roll singer who escapes the downward spiral of his personal life by diving into a world of vivid musical fantasies. Little by little, his visions begin to turn on him, leading to a cathartic climax where Zach must face his demons, and, ultimately, reach out for help.

“I’ve always been a fan of rock musicals like ‘Pink Floyd: The Wall,’ ‘Tommy’ and ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’” says Brown. “We knew we wanted Rainbow to have a similar feel. There are musical numbers ranging from honky-tonk throw-downs to fully animated Busby Berkley-style hallucinations, and yes, there are puppets too.”

Featuring songs written by Brown and performed by his band The Fellowship Students, this "album for the eyes" is a musical roller coaster of emotion that explores the pain of loss, embraces the joy of creativity, and celebrates the healing power of music.

Also, the third incarnation of Rainbow Around the Sun made its stage debut in New York. “Rainbow Around the Sun- The Rock Show” was an official Next Link Selection in the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival. The show preformed at The Tank at the 45th Street Theatre October 5-17, 2009.

For more information about Rainbow Around the Sun, please visit http://virb.com/rainbowaroundthesun.

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Directors Guild Producer Training Program

The 2010 Assistant Directors Training Program recruitment period is officially underway. The deadline for submitting applications is November 20, 2009.

The Assistant Directors Training Program recruits a diverse group of applicants from across the United States and provides selected candidates with education, training, and paid experience in professional settings, which facilitates their development into successful assistant directors. The training programs ultimate goal is to provide the Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers with assistant directors of the highest quality and professionalism.

Once chosen, trainees are required to live in the Los Angeles area and complete 400 days of paid on the job training. Trainees will be assigned to work for various studios and production companies on episodic television, television movies, pilots, mini-series, and feature films. Job descriptions include everything from organizing the movement of actors to delivering paper work. Work hours are long and often involve protracted periods of near-constant movement. The typical workday is 12 to 16 hours.

Please visit http://www.trainingplan.org to find the application and other program information.

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Oklahoma Film Incentives Program More Than Doubles

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry signed into law Senate Bill 318. The measure increases the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate up to 37 percent cash back on Oklahoma expenditures, officials with the Oklahoma Film & Music Office announced.

Governor Brad Henry commented, “The movie and TV industry has changed dramatically over the last few years, with many states having seen a tremendous increase in film revenues after the passage of similar film legislation. Oklahoma’s beautiful and varied terrain makes the state a perfect locale for film and television productions. A competitive incentives package means we will increasingly be able to share what Oklahoma has to offer with the rest of the world.”

Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, who serves as the Chair of the Oklahoma Film Commission said “Oklahoma was one of the first states in the region to offer film rebates but in recent years our neighbors have surpassed our efforts,” Askins explained. “By enhancing our program we will have the economic tools to compete in attracting companies to Oklahoma.”

The provisions of SB 318 will be effective after the first of July, potentially providing motion picture companies up to a 37 percent rebate on Oklahoma expenditures. The rebate includes film, television and commercial productions, with a minimum budget of $50,000 and minimum in-state spending of $25,000. Total rebate payouts remain capped at $5 million per year.

According to Jill Simpson, “The increased percentage for our rebate will provide a major boost for Oklahoma’s film industry. In recent years, the program has not been competitive. This will effectively put us back at the table with neighboring states doing big business like New Mexico and Louisiana who each offer film rebates and tax credits in the 25-35% range. We’re confident it will be enough to put us over the top in landing several of the potential productions we’ve been working to recruit. It will also allow us to better support and grow our industry in the state.”

“We are pleased the Legislature took such proactive action,” said Hardy Watkins, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. “It is such a strong statement in support of our goal to develop and support creative industry jobs in Oklahoma and raises awareness of our state as a destination.”

The previous incentives program in Oklahoma offered up to 17% cash back on Oklahoma expenditures with a minimum budget threshold of $500,000. The state’s rebate program is administered by the Oklahoma Film & Music Office and the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

To read the full requirements for the rebate program, please visit www.oklahomafilm.org for more information. A revised application and instructions on the new processes in place will be available on July 7, 2009.

The Oklahoma Film & Music Office, a division of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, works to attract film, television, video, and music industries to Oklahoma through an effort to promote and expand these values and interests within the state. The Film & Music Office is committed to providing critical support to filmmakers by assisting them with their production concerns. Additional information can be found at www.oklahomafilm.org.

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