“Empire State” is a collaborative effort by Terry Jones and Govind Deecee. Jones grew up on the Cattaraugus Indian reservation and is an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation of Indians from New York State. Deecee grew up and lives in Kottayam, India, which is located in the southern part of India. In 2016, both filmmakers graduated from Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts with bachelor's degrees in film.

Previously, Jones and Deecee collaborated on short films such as “Scarlett,” “Unearthed” and "Gripped."

In 2015, Jones and Deecee (along with Erin Perkins) premiered their short film "Give and Take" at the LA Skins Fest where they were awarded the 2015 Emerging Filmmaker Award.

Director Statement

Terry Jones is a Native American filmmaker and educator currently living on the Seneca Nation territory in Western New York. Growing up on an American Indian reservation has given Jones a unique worldview perspective. Jones has a passion for sharing Iroquois history and culture through his videos and sharing of indigenous foods. It is Jones’ intention to engage his audiences’ five senses through his work.