The recently-released Predator prequel Prey has been creating quite a buzz in the week since its release.

It's already considered by fans of the franchise to be one of its best entries, and for Albertans, the fact that it was filmed in the province adds some hometown pride.

As it turns out, there's some Okotoks representation in there too.

11-year-old Samiyah Crowfoot of Okotoks plays a young Comanche girl who can be seen in a few shots throughout the film.

She wasn't entirely sure what she was in for at first, with her first audition calling for her simply to sweep with a broom.

Even when she got the part, she had no idea she was to appear in one of the most popular sci-fi movie franchises.

"They didn't even tell me what the movie was for, I didn't even know it was for Predator."

Even during filming, the production went by the working name "Skulls," which can be seen on Samiyah's cast hoodie.

Of course, she was eventually clued in and even had a hands-on look at the prosthetic Predator head.

It was a fun experience for the young actress which was only elevated by the film's widespread acclaim.

She's also had a chance to watch the film since its release.

"It was scary, but I also thought it was really short too!"

When asked which movie star she'd most like to work with, Samiyah didn't hesitate: "Chris Hemsworth."

Her father Sam grew up in Okotoks and graduated from the Foothills Composite, though he relocated to New Mexico a few years, where other members of the family started to pick up roles in film and television.

He credits his wife's hard work for landing Samiyah the role.

"The film industry is small, especially when it comes to the type of movies we're cast in. Usually, we're cast as Natives or background actors and stuff, so the community is quite small. My wife did a lot of networking and taking the kids to auditions, and it sort of snowballed and snowballed. My wife has been in a couple of Netflix series, my children have been in Yellowstone, my other daughter is in the movie Hostiles with Christian Bale, and then Woman Walks Ahead with Jessica Chastain."

When the Crowfoots moved back to Alberta, their New Mexico agent was able to put them in touch with contacts in the province.

Prey's leading actress Amber Midthunder has received universal praise for her performance.

Samiyah credits Midthunder as a huge influence, and it turns out the Crowfoots are pretty familiar with the actress and her family.

"My family has known her family for many years and I've worked on different projects with them here and there. I think Amber's going to become more of a big star now, but her whole family is just amazing. We were very fortunate to work with them."

Prey has been heralded as a landmark film for First Nation's representation, and it's something the Crowfoots are proud to be associated with.

"We love to see any representation of First Nation's people in mainstream media, just to get a little more exposure," says Sam. "We're seeing a lot of these series coming out now like Rutherford Falls is based on Native American characters. There's a big show on Disney+ called Reservation Dogs, that also has some people we know in it as well who worked on that, and now Prey. It's really encouraging to see a lot of stories being told either from an Indigenous perspective or with an Indigenous authenticity that hasn't been done in the past, because Hollywood has been quite stereotypical of many cultural groups, Indigenous North American groups being one of them."

It's really refreshing to see that type of perspective and having them cast real Native actors. My daughter is from the Siksika nation as well as the Navajo nation, and she's very proud of where she's from, and it's good for her to represent that."

The film has also received praise for the availability of a Comanche dub of the film.

Prey is currently available to stream on Disney+.

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