Tonia Willis

PSEUDOCIDE: A Tale of Wrath is a proof of concept short and pilot thesis that was developed under Chapman University's Television, Writing and Producing program (aka "Showrunners" MFA) from 2021-2023. It is a revenge fantasy.


Tonia's pilot script THE CASEY PRINCIPLE is a one-hour drama (procedural-serial hybrid) about Seattle private investigator Duncan Casey, on the heels of tracking down a mysterious client with connections to her past and a rising Pacific Northwest militia group.

Tonia is in the process of adapting an original science fiction novella THE DAKOTA EXPERIMENTS , about a scientist who discovers her origins in a gene enhancement program, into a feature film screenplay. The material is part of a transmedia franchise.

SYLLOGISM, a one-act absurdist play, received two workshop productions off-Broadway in New York City in 2004 at Theatre-Studio Inc. In 2010 Tonia directed Syllogism at the Henry Art Gallery on the campus of the University of Washington.

Tonia's other honors include: 2001 Writer’s Digest Writing Competition Certificates of Honor (Screenplay – Quid Pro Quo; Short Story – “Cyber Love”); 2005 Finalist San Jose State Steinbeck Fellowship; 2007 Artist Grant Recipient, City of Seattle SmART Ventures Program; 2012 Grant Recipient Fisher Communications Minority Scholarship.

In 2023 Tonia graduated from Chapman University's MFA in Television, Writing and Producing program/Dodge College of Film & Media Arts.

Currently she resides at Mount Saint Mary's University in Los Angles, CA continuing her post-graduate studies in film and television with an emphasis on Producing.,


FROM THE DESK OF THE CREATOR
I have dedicated my life to the creative industries with passion and devotion to the art of storytelling. I'm a multi-hyphenate women of color that has faced many obstacles. Yet, I have endured because I find comfort and strength in exploring the multiplicity of voices that emanate from my work as a creative artist.