LISTEN to today's show featuring Tonya T. Cannon!
“Distortion” is about Nicole (Tonya T. Cannon), a young woman who wakes up from a 3-month coma after being attacked with no memory as to what happened. Now, she is haunted by brief distorted, bloody images of her fiancé as the only clues as to what might have happened. She must work with Det. Baker (Ryan Merriman – Pretty Little Liars, Final Destination 3), an embittered police detective dealing with his own personal demons after the death of his wife and son, in order to regain her memories before she becomes the next victim.
Tonya T. Cannon also wrote the script and is executive producer on the film along with her father Jack Cannon. The film will be shown at LAFIFF on Friday, October 20 at 4PM at LA Live Regal Cinemas, 1000 W. Olympic Blvd. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.lafemme.org/tickets/
ABOUT TONYA T. CANNON
Tonya T. Cannon has a wealth of corporate, entertainment, and educational experiences. Dr. Cannon (she holds a PhD in Organization & Management) began her love of acting in her pre-school days in Upstate New York. After high school, she trained for a year at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts majoring in Drama but was soon called to the corporate world where she worked for more than 15 years as a human resource professional. During this time, she completed her undergraduate degree program (Theatre Arts/Psychology) and went on to complete her Masters in Human Resource Management.
Soon, the stage called to her again and she was recognized twice for her acting achievements by the Theatre Association of New York State for her comedic and dramatic performances in Check, Please! and Dandelion Wishes, respectively. She then decided to make the move to the west coast in April of 2014 in order to pursue a film acting career and she definitely hit the ground running. Her drive and determination allowed her to obtain on set experiences, both in front of and behind the camera, in such projects as the hit feature Straight Outta Compton, as well as lesser known projects such as Unusual Suspects and The Badlands of Kain. In 2015, she and her father, Jack Cannon, decided to channel the knowledge gained and create StageCraft Productions, LLC in order to produce, write, and star in her feature debut, Distortion.
The following year, Dr. Cannon wrote 2 short films (crime/drama) which offered additional experiences and insights into filmmaking, and went on to produce an additional two shorts as well as the feature horror, Wiles: The Origin of Greater Magic in conjunction with up and coming Latin star, Vinicius Machado (True Detective, Power). In 2017, Dr. Cannon seeks to expand further into the entertainment arena with the creation of several television/streaming projects as well as additional teleplays and feature films. Her latest project, Sorry, Wrong Text, is a dramatic short film which will further demonstrate her writing, acting, and producing capabilities. Dr. Cannon’s corporate business experience as well as her educational and professional experiences all culminate in her being a well-rounded producing partner that is both creative, yet budget conscious. Based on her experiences, she is able to create interesting and compelling characters in stories with an eye towards what is cinematically engaging yet budget friendly. The slate of projects that are currently in some form of development are sure to keep StageCraft Productions busy and profitable for years to come.
The feature, Distortion, has been submitted to more than a dozen festivals across the world and Wiles is currently in post-production.
Dr. Cannon holds a Bachelors in Theatre Arts – minor: Psychology, a Masters in Human Resource Management, and a PhD in Organization & Management with a specialization in Management Education.
For more information, contact Deborah Gilels at LA Media Consultants at 818-758-6509 or Lisa Lyons at 818-726-8199.
