'Create The Stories You Want To Tell': Emmy-Winning Oklahoma Filmmaker On His Journey & Lessons Learned

Kyle Kauwika Harris says he knew as a kid he wanted to be a filmmaker.

10 years ago he created his first film for the the 48-Hour Film Challenge. Since then, Harris has made over a dozen short films, two feature documentaries, and four narrative, feature films and is now one of the busiest Oklahoma filmmakers. Now the Emmy Award-winning filmmaker is stopping by the Arca Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages to discuss his latest projects and his Oklahoma roots. 

1. Please tell us about the very first film you made. When did you know you wanted to create films?

The very first film I made was ten years ago as part of a 48-hour film challenge. It's where I met my future collaborators Austin and Colton Warren and we've worked together on every project since then.  

I've known since I was a kid that I wanted to be a filmmaker.  

My parents divorced when I was young and my mom would take me to the movies a lot as a kid. Sometimes we'd see the same movie and sometimes she'd go see what she wanted to watch and I would see what I wanted to watch, and my dad would rent VHS tapes when I stayed with him on weekends.  

Most of the time I'd watch them alone on Saturday mornings, and I guess at a young age movies, after I'd finished them, just made me think. It's like reading a book, you walk around the rest of the day wanting to talk about this new secret knowledge you had because it spoke to you in an emotional way.

Find more info about Kyle's work here.

1. How many films have you produced in Oklahoma?

Short films over a dozen. Two feature documentaries and four feature narrative films over 10 years. The bulk of the feature narrative stuff over the last four years.

1. What are you working on now?

I'm working on a number of projects that I've already written and trying to bring to life with talent and financiers, as well as a few projects for hire films. I'm also writing a couple of new screenplays.

1. What does it mean to be an Oklahoma filmmaker? What is the best part? What is the biggest challenge?

I mean I look at being an OK filmmaker just like anyone would from where they're at. We have amazing crew members here who are the best at what they do and have worked on the big films that come through, so that makes it awesome for me as a filmmaker when I'm ready to make my own films. The biggest challenge is always financing. It can take years sometimes to find the right financing team for a film.

1. Many of your films have dark, crime elements to the overall theme and very human, intricate, complex characters. What inspires your storylines and characters?

I think character and theme is the first thing I look at in addition to the world that the characters inhabit. When you introduce criminal elements to those worlds it adds stakes, and there's usually something of mine from the world that creates a cost for the characters and for the decisions they are making.

1. Please describe how being a writer creatively impacts the films you direct.   

Writing for me allows me to daydream on the movie, from cinematography, and set the tone I want to keep throughout the story. It also already establishes my sensibilities as a storyteller and filmmaker vs directing someone else's story that his own tone and sensibilities in it. When I write I know that I am putting in the time to make it the best it can be and know my own strengths when trying to get it produced.  

1. What do you love the most about being on set?

I always love working with the cast and crew. It takes a lot of stamina and endurance to make films. So having good people around you for 12 plus hours a day for a month or sometimes longer is always important. In addition to seeing your writing come to life through the shots.

1. When will Reverence and The Huntsman be premiering? 

Reverence will be premiering next month at a TBD location and will be screened for cast and crew and then taken to the distributor for release later this year.

Huntsman screening probably won't be till closer to Xmas as we just wrapped two weeks ago. And will be released most likely next summer.

1. What advice would you give to Oklahoma filmmakers?

Create the stories you want to tell. Put in the time and work. It is completely up to you how you want your career to go so work hard and let the work speak for itself. Growing up I didn't know anyone in the film industry but I loved films enough that I just created the worlds I wanted to see and the Teams around me to bring them to life.

1. What is your favorite film from another filmmaker and why? 

I have many favorite films but I think the ones that speak to me most are films with great characters and themes, and obviously great cinematography and score, as that's what I originally went to film school to do was to be Director of Photography but fell into writing and directing. Films like No Country for Old Men, There Will be Blood, Road to Perdition, Cool Hand Luke, A Perfect World, Sicario, Badlands, The Thin Red Line, The Shawshank Redemption, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford etc...

1. Is there anything you would like to add that hasn't been said?

To those out there who want to be filmmakers... Focus on your work, not the fame or money but the work itself. If you sit down and put in the time writing you can inspire people.  

Build your teams of people around you. Start small and finish big. It's going to take a lot of time and it will not be an overnight success as it takes films a long time to get made so establish one's voice on the page and hone your instincts behind the camera. Work every aspect of the process from writing to production to post-production and learn everyone's job and you'll eventually become a well-rounded filmmaker and create a career for yourself.  

Don't wait on Hollywood as they're NEVER going to stop what they're doing to see you, you have to create work that makes them see you before they will ever take you seriously. Don't write 1 script, write 20. Don't make just one film make 20. Establish your brand and voice. Be your own LLC corporation and create your own industry. People will take notice.