Sterlin Harjo

Sterlin Harjo (Seminole/Muscogee) is an award-winning filmmaker from Holdenville, Oklahoma. Now based in Tulsa, Harjo is the creator and showrunner for FX’s "The Lowdown," a Tulsa noir drama led by Ethan Hawke — a journalist who knows too much.

Also known for FX’s "Reservation Dogs" -- co-created with Taika Waititi -- Harjo was the showrunner for the three season comedy series following four Indigenous teenage friends living on a reservation in Oklahoma. Emmy-nominated, "Reservation Dogs" won a 2022 and 2024 Peabody Award, 2022 Television Academy Honors Award, 2022 Independent Spirit Award for Best Comedy Series, was an American Film Institute Awards Honoree for all three seasons, and won Best Breakthrough Series under 40 minutes at the 2021 Gotham Awards. Currently, Harjo has multiple series in development with FX Productions.

Over his career, Harjo has created and directed five feature films: three narrative dramas and two documentaries. His most recent feature, "Love and Fury," is a documentary chronicling the work and intersection of over a dozen contemporary Native American artists. "Love and Fury" was acquired by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY and released on Netflix in December 2021. The film premiered at the 2021 Hot Docs International Documentary Festival and was an official selection of the Seattle International Film Festival, Virginia Film Festival and DeadCenter Film Festival.

Harjo’s first feature film, "Four Sheets to the Wind," premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2007 and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. His feature documentary, "This May Be the Last Time," premiered at Sundance in 2014. His most recent narrative feature, "Mekko," premiered at the 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival and had its international premiere at Toronto International Film Festival. Each of his films are set in Oklahoma and address contemporary Indigenous experiences.

A founding member of the Native sketch comedy troupe, the 1491s, Harjo co-wrote the group’s play, "Between Two Knees," an intergenerational comedic love story/musical set against the backdrop of true events in Native American history.