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Empire State

"As an Elder goes about preparing wild onions and corn, the outside world infiltrates through the TV: the fall of the Twin Towers, the hit on Baghdad, and the first death of a Native American soldier overseas. A subtly poignant film that simply told gives strength to the old man and to those who bear witness."

- imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival (2017)

  • Terry Jones
    Director
    Give and Take, Scarlett, Soup For My Brother, Unearthed
  • Govind Deecee
    Director
    Unearthed, Give and Take, Scarlett, Gripped
  • Terry Jones
    Writer
    Give and Take, Scarlett, Soup For My Brother, Unearthed
  • Govind Deecee
    Writer
    Unearthed, Give and Take, Scarlett, Gripped
  • Jenna M. Loyd
    Writer
  • Terry Jones
    Producer
    Give and Take, Scarlett, Soup For My Brother, Unearthed
  • Govind Deecee
    Producer
    Unearthed, Give and Take, Scarlett, Gripped
  • James C. Jones
    Key Cast
    Soup For My Brother
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Experimental, short, Native American, War, American Indian, Conflict, veteran, Haudenosaunee, Iroquois
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 54 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 15, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    100 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • First Nations Film and Video Festival
    Chicago
    United States
    May 2, 2017
    Official Selection
  • imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    October 19, 2017
    International
    Official Selection
  • LA Skins Fest
    Los Angeles
    United States
    November 19, 2017
    Los Angeles
    Official Selection
  • Student Experimental Film Festival (SEFF)
    Binghamton
    United States
    December 7, 2013
    Official Selection
  • Montreal First Peoples Festival
    Montreal
    Canada
    August 13, 2019
    Montreal
    Official Selection
  • Kanatsiohareke Haudenosaunee Film Festival
    Fonda
    United States
    September 8, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Native Spirit Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    October 20, 2019
    European
    Official Selection
  • MicroMania Film Festival
    Buffalo
    United States
    July 25, 2020
    Finalist
  • Tampere Film Festival
    Tampere
    Finland
    March 10, 2021
    European
Distribution Information
  • Canadian Filmmakers Ditribution Centre (CFMDC)
    Distributor
    Country: Canada
    Rights: Video / Disc
Director Biography - Terry Jones, Govind Deecee

“Empire State” is a collaborative effort by Terry Jones and Govind Deecee. Jones grew up on the Cattaraugus Indian reservation and is an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation of Indians from New York State. Deecee grew up and lives in Kottayam, India, which is located in the southern part of India. In 2016, both filmmakers graduated from Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts with bachelor's degrees in film.

Previously, Jones and Deecee collaborated on short films such as “Scarlett,” “Unearthed” and "Gripped."

In 2015, Jones and Deecee (along with Erin Perkins) premiered their short film "Give and Take" at the LA Skins Fest where they were awarded the 2015 Emerging Filmmaker Award.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Terry Jones is a Native American filmmaker and educator currently living on the Seneca Nation territory in Western New York. Growing up on an American Indian reservation has given Jones a unique worldview perspective. Jones has a passion for sharing Iroquois history and culture through his videos and sharing of indigenous foods. It is Jones’ intention to engage his audiences’ five senses through his work.

Jones would like to use his art as an agent of change. Like many other communities, Jones' home territory is confronted with many issues that negatively impact its quality of life (loss of language, drug abuse, diabetes, environmental dangers, public safety and injustice). It is his hope that his future film projects will promote and facilitate dialogue that can influence changes in public policy.