Private Project

Pony Express- The Black Cowboy

An immersive cultural experience about the Bagby’s that is a large multigenerational family of Cowboys, with members that pioneered the Pony Express rodeo event out of the historically prosperous Black town of Preston, Oklahoma. Located just south of Tulsa, Oklahoma the Bagby's and other families in the area are still holding strong to their culture as the youth are embracing the tech forward new world.

  • Charles Perry
    Director
    The Black Cowboy
  • Basil Childres
    Producer
    The Great Hack
  • Art Burton
    Writer
    Bass Reeves
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    22 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    December 7, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Sony Fs7
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Eurpean Film Market
    Berlin
    Germany
    February 26, 2020
    Market Premiere
Director Biography - Charles Perry

Director • Cinematographer
Charles Perry’s first experience as a cinematographer landed him at the Hollywood Film Festival for the short film, 'Scraps'. Currently, he’s filming and producing the feature-length documentary, The Black Cowboy. During idle moments, he finds time to create short films to keep evolving as a filmmaker. The short observational documentary, Pony Express, set in rural Black Oklahoma, features a family of descendants of freemen. It provides a window into their daily lives as they proudly carry on horse traditions on land that has been in their family for over 100 years. Always pushing the envelope, director Charles Perry’s mission with motion picture is to tell stories from the perspective of people with little or no voice.

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Director Statement

Through the process of making this film, I was able to truly understand the role that men and women of color played in the success of the United States of America. I have developed a deeper respect and understanding for all people who make America richly diverse and special. This film journey has been long and tough, but completely satisfying. As an indie filmmaker, I've been lucky enough to find ways to get my true creative work done. I've discovered the empowerment and impact that come along with being a documentary filmmaker. I’ve come to better understand how entertainment and media shape the way we view the world.