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LOS ANGELES — The Native American Media Alliance, in partnership with WarnerMedia and the Cherokee Nation Film Office, selected the group for its second annual Native American Writers Symposium, which includes two Cherokee Nation citizens.
The one-month intensive program provides mentoring support and workshops, as well as scholarship preparation.
Rory Crittenden of Tulsa is a filmmaker, screenwriter, Heartland Emmy Award-winning producer and Heartland Emmy nominated director. He applied to the program to improve his skills.
Crittenden’s past credits include “Osiyo, The Voice of the Cherokee People” as a producer. He is now a freelance filmmaker, helping to create content for various Aboriginal TV shows, including the Canadian documentary series “Warrior Up!”
“This is a program to track young Indigenous people doing good in their communities and to highlight people in those communities. This year they learned about this year’s all-female team Removal riders,” he said.
Crittenden says his goal is to become a narrative filmmaker, and opportunities such as workshops will help him achieve that goal.
“I just wish I could be a screenwriter, a storyteller, finish a script, get into a good place, and take that stuff to the next script or the next script. The problem is to move on and get better,” He says.
He is also a contributor to a documentary series called “Indigenous Food” and is currently producing and directing a documentary about his grandfather.
Vanessa Lillie of Providence, Rhode Island, is a thriller writer who has authored or co-authored three projects. She said she was excited to connect with the creative community, including other home-grown writers.
“For a lot of writers, especially Native American and Indigenous writers, it’s especially meaningful any time we can connect with our communities in this way,” Lily said. “And I’m no longer in Oklahoma, and I’m grateful that I’ve been able to connect with other Cherokee writers and writers from other tribal and indigenous backgrounds. Working with other Native American storytellers is really for me meaningful.”
As a writer, her first book, The Little Voice, debuted in 2019, followed by For the Best in 2020. She then co-authored an Audible Original called The Young Rich Widow.
For the workshop, Lily is working on a series of new books, as well as screen adaptations around missing and murdered women, girls and two spiritual movements.
“I now have a contract for a new series that will begin in Northeast Oklahoma, where I’m from, and center on my personal perspective on Native American stories and experiences,” she said.
She said she was grateful for the support of the Native American community in helping Native writers.
“I’m proud to represent our tribe and to be able to tell these stories and connect with others,” she said.
For more information, visit nama.media.
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