Jeremy Renner and Gil Birmingham in a scene from "Wind River".
Many people assume most, if not all, tribal businesses are casinos, due to the success and visibility of that business model for many Native groups in the United States. That's not the whole story by any means, though; tribes often pursue a number of other business ventures to ensure the long-term financial stability of the organizations. Tribal funds provide a safety net for individual members, allow for the funding of cultural preservation efforts like language classes, and make certain that these groups, so many of which almost vanished, can safeguard their own continued existence. Louisiana's Tunica-Biloxi tribe, headquartered in Marksville and the owners of the Paragon Casino, recently branched out in an exciting and unusual direction: the tribe has formed a film production company, Acacia Entertainment.
Tunica-Biloxi Vice Chairman Marshall Ray Sampson said that while the primary goal of the company is to serve as an investment vehicle for the tribe, it's also a chance to tell good stories. "People have brought us projects, and some are good and some are... not as good. We want to use this chance to tell stories that really add something to the country." The company has the ambitious goal of participating in three to four productions per year. Their first film to produce, LBJ, in which Woody Harrelson plays the titular president with support from stars like Bill Pullman and Jennifer Jason Leigh, opens November 3. Their second film, Wind River, which opened earlier this year due to a shorter production schedule, saw strong reviews, an award at Cannes, and Oscar buzz. In Wind River, Avengers alumni Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner investigate the sexually motivated murder of a young Native American woman on a remote Wyoming reservation, addressing the very real, ongoing high crime rate faced by many of these communities, especially the women in them. In a rarity for Hollywood, and partly due to Acacia's involvement, the film's Native characters are played by Native actors (no suspiciously tan Johnny Depp here).
Wind River was distributed by the Weinstein Company. Given the allegations against Weinstein, especially in light of the film's topic, Acacia has severed its relationship with the embattled pervert and decided to fund the film's Oscar campaign itself. Look for streaming and home media releases soon, and know that any future profits that would have gone to the Weinstein Company will now benefit the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, a nonprofit that helps Native American women fleeing or suffering abuse.
And stay tuned: Acacia project Shock and Awe, featuring Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Jessica Biel, and Milla Jovovich in a drama about journalists investigating the WMD claims that led to the the 2003 invasion of Iraq, is making the festival rounds in search of distribution.
Learn more about Acacia Entertainment here.
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