Dreamstarter Josiah Jones

Josiah Jones, 26, is a successful filmmaker, entrepreneur, and dedicated role-model from the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. Josiah was born and raised in Oklahoma, and from an early age he recognized the importance of intertribal community and interconnected support. Josiah forged a path for himself into a career in filmmaking and currently works at a Native-Owed production company in Oklahoma. Josiah is dedicated to sharing his success with his community and uplifting Native storytellers.  

Indigenous representation in films and mainstream media is crucial for native youth and their ability to dream, unfortunately Native American Representation in media and media industry-based careers is nearly non-existent. In a study conducted by the University of Southern California, which evaluated the 1,600 top-grossing films between 2007 and 2022, less than 0.25% of all speaking roles went to Native American characters.  Off screen creative roles like writing and directing face even worse odds. Inspired by his own journey and breakthrough in the Film Industry, Josiah aims to share his success with his larger Native community and uplift the next generation of Native Filmmakers.