Inaugural Black Wall Street Nation Experience Demonstrates Polaris Films’ Oklahoma Production Ecosystem
The inaugural Black Wall Street Nation Experience supplied Polaris Films its clearest public demonstration of the Oklahoma-based creative and production ecosystem the company has built. Filmmakers, producers, educators, entrepreneurs and emerging talent gathered in Tulsa’s historic Greenwood District from September 25 to 27.
Polaris founder Marc Benjamin and Tulsa educator Lincoln Cochran co-founded the event. It merged the first BWSN Film Summit with live music, workforce development, entrepreneurship training and professional programs. Organizers stressed that durable creative economies need ownership, infrastructure and continuing opportunities beyond any single gathering or production.
Polaris founders Mark Harris and Kristofer McNeeley joined Buffalo Roam Studios leaders for summit conversations on virtual production, generative tools and repeatable independent-film models. Harris appeared with CEO Jeff Smith and Film Summit Director Spade Robinson on workflow changes, then screened his award-winning short The Platform. McNeeley spoke with President Kassie Gann about building an independent studio around disciplined economics, local infrastructure and pipelines that carry talent across projects.
Screenings featured Jay Duplass’ See You When I See You, Alex Stapleton’s The Brittney Griner Story and Dreams of Violets. The Oklahoma premiere of the American Red Cross documentary Iconic Excellence: The Legacy of Dr. Charles R. Drew was followed by a panel moderated by DeMarco Morgan with Dr. Yvette Miller, Dr. Janel Pasley and Hannibal B. Johnson.
Public programming at OSU-Tulsa and Greenwood sites included performances by MC Lyte, Aluna, Buena Vista Orchestra, Erica Campbell, Warryn Campbell, Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, Lena Byrd Miles, Carson Barnes and Lisa Page Brooks. Severe weather canceled Wale’s Saturday appearance, yet other programming continued. Additional pathways comprised a tuition-free TV Writers’ Room Bootcamp, a beauty entrepreneurship track led by LAMIK Beauty founder Kim Roxie and NIL and financial-literacy sessions with Pro Football Hall of Famer Will Shields.
Marc Benjamin said the weekend’s importance lay in relationships that persist after stages are removed. “Black Wall Street Nation was never meant to be three days of programming and then disappear,” Benjamin stated. “The idea was to put people who make things, finance things, teach skills, hire talent and build businesses in the same place, and create relationships and opportunities that continue after the stages come down. Seeing that happen in Greenwood reinforced exactly why we believe so strongly in Oklahoma.” He added that the Film Summit addressed the same question Polaris pursues: “how do you turn creative energy into something durable?” Oklahoma already possesses talented crews and institutions, Benjamin noted, and Polaris aims to add continuity so one production strengthens infrastructure for the next. “Greenwood was built by people who created opportunity rather than waiting for it,” he said. “For Polaris, the next step is taking the relationships, talent and momentum we’re seeing across Oklahoma and helping build the machinery that keeps people working, keeps projects moving and allows an industry to grow.”
Discussions built on Polaris’ recently announced partnership with Buffalo Roam Studios in Bartlesville to create a recurring production base. The companies are pairing Polaris’ development-to-market model with Buffalo Roam’s Oklahoma infrastructure, relationships and technology. Polaris is also developing an initial three-film slate and expanding its state footprint through the Buffalo Roam partnership and a developing relationship with Cherokee Film.
Polaris Films is an independent company founded by media entrepreneur Marc Benjamin, producer Kristofer McNeeley and writer-producer Mark Harris. It develops character-driven films for broad audiences, combining creative ambition with disciplined production economics and a growing Oklahoma focus. The company pairs regional incentives, virtual production and emerging technology within a repeatable model. Polaris Films operates as part of Polaris Media Lab, Benjamin’s media and entertainment company centered on storytelling that reaches across cultural and demographic lines.
