Projects must meet a $50,000 minimum Oklahoma spend, of which $25,000 must be spent in Cherokee Nation jurisdictions.

Certain benchmarks must be hit, including but not limited: to proof of funding, proof of insurance, screenplay review, and budget review.

To be eligible for any rebate under the Cherokee Nation Film Incentive Program, a production must hire a minimum of two Native American paid trainees residing in the State of Oklahoma.

Independent Projects of $1,000,000 or more not backed by a studio or acceptable financiers must have a completion bond. 

At least one principal photography day must be shot on Cherokee Nation, defined as the 7,000 square miles in northeast Oklahoma that make up the Cherokee Nation Reservation.

5% bonus on BTL wages for those that are not residents of the Cherokee Nation Territories but are residents of Oklahoma.

5% bonus on expenditures paid to Native American
owned businesses within the Cherokee Nation, provided the vendor is able to prove at least 51% Native Ownership.

Productions must submit an initial application, found on the Cherokee Nation Film Office website. Initial applications must be submitted no earlier than one year prior to the start of principal photography but no later than 45 days prior to the start of principal photography.

If eligibility of a project was not available or known prior to the beginning of principal photography, a production company may submit an initial application within 10 days after the eligibility is known with a detailed explanation of the reason for not submitting the application during the required time window.

This program accepts applicants on a case-by-case basis based on things such as economic impact, available funding, tourism, and local Cherokee Nation resources and local labor utilized.

Projects must start principal photography within 180 days of approval.

If approved, projects must submit a final application within 90 days of incurring their final expense.

A 25% rebate is available for above-the-line wages as long as the ATL crew member is Native American and a resident of the Cherokee Nation. If those two conditions aren’t met, ATL compensation isn’t eligible.

Below-the-line crew wages are eligible for rebates as follows: 10% for non-resident, non-Native American crew; 15% for Oklahoma resident, non-Native American crew; 20% for any Native American crew; and 25% for any Cherokee Nation citizen or Native American crew who live within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation.

Below-the-line cast wages are eligible for rebates as follows: 20% for any Native American cast member; and 25% for any Cherokee Nation citizen or any Native American who lives within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation.

Production spend within the Cherokee Nation earns a 20% rebate, while production spend within the Cherokee Nation with Native American vendors earns a 25% rebate.

Set props and accessories count toward qualified production spend if they cost at least $50,000 and prior approval is granted by the Cherokee Nation Film Office.