Chad Burris

Chad Burris belongs to the Chickasaw Nation and is a native of Oklahoma, where he currently resides.  He produced the short film Goodnight Irene by writer/director Sterlin Harjo, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival, Berlin, Tribeca, Los Angeles Film Festival, Aspen Short Fest and many other notable festivals around the world. 

Burris also produced Harjo's feature length film, Four Sheets to the Wind.  The project was a participant in both the Sundance writers and directors labs and was nominated for the NHK award and the recipient of the Annenberg Award.  The project was invited to participate in the competition section of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.  Burris is also an executive producer on Harjo's second feature, Before the Beast Returns, which won best screenplay in the 2006 Tribeca All Access Program.  Finally, Burris and Harjo will go into production in Spring 2008 on Harjo's feature Barking Water.

Additionally, Burris is producing the second film from award winning filmmaker Blackhorse Lowe, which is set to shoot in the spring of 2008.  Burris was awarded the Sundance Institute's Mark Silverman Award for 2007 for his work with Blackhorse.

Burris is a graduate of the University of Tulsa Law School, where he received his J.D. with an emphasis in Indian Law. He devoted much of his time in law school toward developing programs that would attract, through federal economic development incentives, film production to Indian country. 

Burris is also the co-owner of the Oklahoma based Indion Entertainment Group (IEG).  IEG facilitates financing and production for projects shooting in Oklahoma.  The company utilizes Oklahoma state tax incentives to encourage local investment in film projects.  Having a background in both film production and law, Burris realized the value of local incentives for film production and set out to construct a business model that would accommodate both in Oklahoma.

Burris is a member of Sundance Institute's Native Fellows program, he is the president of the Oklahoma Territory Film Council, and serves as a director for a local non-profit group.  Burris works closely with local and state groups to encourage support of the arts in Oklahoma.

Finally, Burris has his own production company, Dirt Road Productions, and is currently in development on projects through that company.