SELECTED PRESS
Our Stories Make Us More - Colleen Thurston, Filmmaker
“I Was Called to Tell This Story”
New documentary shines light on fight for future of Kiamichi River
Drowned Land shines light on Choctaw water rights movement
Native American filmmaker dives into ‘water wars’ over the Kiamichi River with ‘Drowned Land’
Filmmaker Boots Riley visits Tulsa, draws capacity crowd for Oklahoma premiere of ‘I Love Boosters’
Drowned Land Review
From Sundance to Spa City: Hot Springs 2023
Drowned Land Review
SIFF: “Drowned Land” Chronicles a Fight for Resources
Educational programming to feature Alcatraz occupation
New Series in Los Angeles Showcases Indigenous Filmmaking
Firelight Media Documentary Lab Has Its 2019 Fellows From Underrepresented Communities
Close Up
Fellowships and Residencies
2025 Tulsa Artist Fellowship
2024 Tallgrass Artist Residency
2024 International Documentary Association Getting Real Fellowship
2023 European Film Market Doc Toolbox Programme at Berlinale Film Festival
2022 Flaherty Film Seminar Fellowship
2022 Sundance x Women in Film Financing Intensive
2021 Jackson Wild Summit Fellowship
2021 ImagineNATIVE Directors Lab
2020 Robert C. and Sandra Connor Endowed Faculty Fellowship
2019 Firelight Media Documentary Lab Fellowship
2018 Native Filmmaker Fellowship, Big Sky Film Institute
2018 4th World Media Lab Fellowship
2012 American Indian Graduate Center Fellowship
2025 Native Arts and Culture Foundation SHIFT Award
2025 Best Alumni Film, Drowned Land Fort Smith International Film Festival
2025 Best Feature Documentary, Drowned Land Circle Cinema Film Festival
2025 Best Oklahoma Documentary, Drowned Land deadCenter Film Festival
2025 Best Emerging Filmmaker, Drowned Land Thin Line Festival
2025 Bare Bones Film Festival Trailblazer Award
2024 Creative Capital Award
2023 Indigenous Earth Fund
2023 DC Environmental Film Festival Vantage Grant Pitch selection
2023 Patagonia Media Grant
2023 Vision Maker Media Post-production Funding
2023 Sundance Institute Indigenous Film Fund Fellowship
2023 Artists Creative Fund
2022 Santa Fe Film Institute Regional Grant
2022 New Orleans Film Festival South Pitch selection
2022 Firelight Media / NEH Spark Fund
2022 Sundance Institute Indigenous Film Fund Fellowship
2021 The Center for Cultural Power Artist Disruptor Award
2021 Jackson Wild Grand Prismatic Award
2021 Audible Podcast Development Program selection for “Lighthorse”
2021 Vision Maker Media Public Media Projects Fund
2021 Nia Tero Production Grant
2021 ITVS Diversity Development Fund
2020 Arkansas Humanities Center Diversifying Research and Curriculum Grant
2020 Redford Center Fiscal Sponsorship
2019 Telly Award: General – History for Television (Producer/Director)
2019 Telly Award: General – Biography for Television (Producer/Director)
2019 Telly Award (Silver): General – History for Television (Producer/Director)
2019 Telly Award (Bronze): General – History for Television (Producer/Director)
2019 Oklahoma Chapter Society for Professional Journalists Diversity Award
2019 Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition Creative Projects Grant
2018 National Native Media Awards: TV - General Excellence (Producer/Director)
2018 Vision Maker Media Public Media Project Fund
2018 Telly Award: General - History for Television (Producer and Writer)
2017 Heartland Regional Emmy: Historic/Cultural Program - Feature/Segment (Writer and Producer)
2017 Heartland Regional Emmy: Arts/Entertainment - Program Feature/Segment (Producer)