Join the Lincoln Presidential Foundation on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 7 PM ET / 6 PM CT/ 4 PM PT, for our third free Latest Generation Film Contest virtual mentor session, held in partnership with the Better Angels Society and funded by its Amy Margerum Berg Education Fund.

Representation on screen shapes how we see the world—and who tells the story makes all the difference. Join award-winning filmmaker Jeremy Charles (Cherokee) and museum leader James Pepper Henry (Kaw/Muscogee) for an inspiring conversation about bringing Native perspectives to the forefront of filmmaking. Through clips and behind-the-scenes stories, Jeremy will share how Indigenous creators are reclaiming their narratives and reshaping the future of film.

Mentor Session Speakers:

Jeremy Charles (pictured left) is a Cherokee writer, director, and producer, and founder of Pursuit Films, a Native-owned production company since 2014. His bold storytelling and commitment to Indigenous representation have earned him Webby Awards, Anthem Awards, Children’s and Sports Emmys, and Tellys. His films have screened worldwide, winning top honors at festivals including L.A. Skins, Phoenix, DeadCenter, Sundial, and Fort Smith. As co-creator of the docu-series Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People, Jeremy led the project to 29 regional Emmys, including Best Director. He is an alum of the Native American Media Alliance TV Writers Fellowship, a Visionmaker Mentor, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Tri-City Collective, where he continues to elevate and mentor Indigenous storytellers across film, television, animation, and music.

James Pepper Henry (pictured right) is Principal of Pepper & Associates, a Native American owned and operated museum planning firm assisting in the design and development of cultural institutions and interpretive centers representing indigenous and underserved communities, and assisting in the development of operating plans, exhibition interpretive plans, design, and build-out. Pepper Henry is the former Cultural Resources Director for the Kaw Nation, a federally recognized Native American tribe with its headquarters in Kaw City, Oklahoma. Recently, he finished a four-year term as Vice-Chairman of the Kaw Nation. He is also President of the Kanza Heritage Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of Kaw culture, language, and historic sites. Pepper Henry is Director Emeritus of First Americans Museum (FAM), Oklahoma’s premiere cultural institution located in Oklahoma City. Its mission is to educate the broader public about the unique cultures, diversity, history, and contributions of the 39 federally recognized tribes that were removed to Indian Territory, now the state of Oklahoma. Prior to his tenure at First Americans Museum, Pepper Henry was the Executive Director of Tulsa’s premier art, history, and culture museum, the Gilcrease Museum. Pepper Henry also served as a commissioner on the Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission and was a key proponent and facilitator to establish “Native American Day” as an official City of Tulsa day of recognition. Prior to Gilcrease Museum, Pepper Henry was the Director and CEO of the Heard Museum in Phoenix, AZ, Director and CEO of the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center in Anchorage, AK, and former Associate Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. He played a pivotal role in the establishment and launch of the American Indian museum on the National Mall in Washington, DC that opened to the public in 2004. Pepper Henry is a graduate of the University of Oregon and a recipient of the University’s prestigious Council for Minority Education Leadership Award. He is also a graduate of the Museum Leadership Institute at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California.

Register HERE.