“Dark Winds” star Jessica Matten (Red River Métis and Cree) is leading the IFA effort, working with Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) students to create new opportunities for Indigenous talent across film and television.
Source: New Mexico Film Office
Cover Photo: Jessica Matten (Red River Métis and Cree), center, led the Indigenous Film Academy’s effort, working with Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) students to create new opportunities for Indigenous talent across film and television with “Check In Check Out.” (Courtesy of Jessica Matten/Indigenous Film Academy)
SANTA FE — AMC Networks is partnering with the Indigenous Film Academy (IFA) on its latest project, “Check In Check Out,” which filmed in Santa Fe.
“Dark Winds” star Jessica Matten (Red River Métis and Cree) is leading the IFA effort, working with Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) students to create new opportunities for Indigenous talent across film and television.
“Check In Check Out” is set at a haunted Santa Fe hotel, where a woman at a life-altering crossroads is killed by a spirit and forced to relive the same day again and again, each reset dragging her deeper into the secrets, regrets and choices she must confront to escape.
The series filmed July 26 through August 6 in Santa Fe and employed 40 New Mexico resident crew members and four New Mexico principal actors. James Burns and LaRonn Katchia are directing, while Matten is producing and starring in the series.
The series will air through a spotlight collection on AMC+. As part of this initiative, AMC Networks has launched a training program and cross-border apprenticeship program in the U.S. and Canada, offering emerging Indigenous creatives direct access to the film and TV industry.
“Working collaborations like this help provide experience and mentorship to the next generations of filmmakers and storytellers,” said Steve Graham, New Mexico Film Office director. “We’re excited to have AMC working with students at IAIA and keep genuine stories coming to light.”
AMC has worked with IAIA’s Cinematic Arts and Technology Department to provide internships on “Dark Winds” over the last three years, providing interns with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience across production departments, including lighting, wardrobe, props and camera.
“This initiative is about more than representation — it’s about restoration,” Matten said in a statement. “We are reclaiming our narratives, healing generational trauma, and building real opportunities for Indigenous youth to thrive as creators, leaders, and innovators. I’m deeply grateful to AMC Networks for their unwavering support. Our partnership is already changing lives, and the ripple effects will be felt for generations.”
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