Diversity & Inclusion: JSU Film Premiere

The next documentary from JSU’s Emmy-award winning Longleaf Studios will premiere on Alabama Public Television (APT) this week. “The Forgotten Creeks,” which tells the story of Alabama’s Poarch Band of Creek Indians, airs at 8:30 pm on Thursday, November 17. According to APT, the film honors the only federally recognized Native American Tribe in Alabama by illustrating the history of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, including the near obsolescence of their culture and the perseverance of their leaders as they “fought to reclaim their lost culture and, after 40 years of legal battles with the federal government, finally proved their existence. The result was recognition in the form of sovereignty and the beginning of a success story built on education, family values, and the preservation of culture.”

“Producing this film was a rewarding experience,” said Seth Johnson, Director of Longleaf Studios. Partnering with Nashville-based film company Illuminate Films, “our students were able to work alongside an accomplished film studio in the production of the film and gained valuable industry experience in doing so.”

JSU film students Ethan Wright, Tucker Barnett, Peyton Beckwith, and Jonah Lancaster assumed various roles on the film crew, and JSU professors Harry Holstein and Tamara Levi are featured as content experts. The film also features motion design works from JSU Graphic Design students Kayla Harris, Zachery Stanley, Jacob Anderson, Alba Conjero I Gutierrez, Kayla Bigbee, and Adela Johnson, and all of the map animations seen in the film were created by MFA graduate student Shankar Dayal Dayalan.

“We owe a significant thank you to the tribal members that gave us their trust, welcomed us into their homes, and allowed us to tell their story,” stated Johnson. “The resilience and perseverance of the Poarch Creek Indians is an inspiration to us all.